Doctor Sherlock
by Utdragongirl
Summary: When the 11th Doctor along with Amy and Rory travel from a nearby planet, they are sucked into a rift, sending them into a parallel universe, one where Sherlock Holmes is real in the twenty-first century. (Between 5th and 6th seasons of Doctor Who and after the 2nd episode of the 2nd season of Sherlock)
1. Chapter 1

The TARDIS spun out of control as the Doctor, Amy, and Rory left Raxus 5. The Doctor frantically flipped switches and pulled levers, but nothing helped. The TARDIS had a mind of her own sometimes, making the Doctor irritable.

"What's wrong with her?" Amy called out, holding the console for dear life. Rory glanced between her and the Doctor, hoping for an explanation.

"How should I know? She's acting up again!" He shouted, wanting to kick the console.

"Again? You mean this has happened before?!" Rory shouted over the crashes and bangs. The Doctor glared at him for a split second before trying new buttons and handles. Nothing seemed to work.

After a trifling effort, the TARDIS stopped and dimmed. The Doctor made a worried face. This had happened once before, long ago. He dashed to the door and opened it, shocked by what he saw. Amy and Rory followed him to see where they had landed. They were in the middle of a top secret laboratory.

Meanwhile...

"Sherlock! You're phone is ringing! Again!" John shouted from his room upstairs. Sherlock sat at the kitchen table, examining a piece of tissue under a microscope.

"Let it to to voicemail!" He called back for the third time.

"It's the same number!" John informed, trying to get his friend interested. Sherlock just grunted in return. John charged down the stairs and picked up the phone. "If you won't answer it, then I will."

"Fine," Sherlock mumbled, too involved with the scope. John sighed as he pressed the call button.

"Hello, Sherlock's phone. This is John," he answered, carrying the phone into the living room. Sherlock glanced up a moment before returning to the tissue. Within seconds, John came running back, holding out the phone.

"Who was it?" Sherlock asked, noticing that John had ended the call.

"You're brother. He said that someone has... appeared in a top secret facility. The culprits are held in the bowels of the building," John paraphrased, throwing the phone onto the table.

"What are the facts?" Sherlock implored, needing some information. John paused and bit his lip.

"No sign of a break in, no let them in. They came out of a janitorial closet."

"Tell the to check the security cameras."

"They did. No one or thing came in or out of the closet for weeks. It's never used according to the custodians. Some witnesses have documented hearing a strange whirring noise as they passed," John continued as Sherlock pushed the microscope away. He looked up at John.

"We're leaving, John. Text Mycroft to get the directions," he directed as he went to grab his coat and scarf. John grabbed the phone and turned toward him.

"But Sherlo-"

"Just do it!" John had never been ordered around like that in a couple of weeks. It shocked him a bit, making him wonder what it meant and who was in the cellar of the building.

Sherlock and John met Lestrade at the laboratory with about a half a dozen police cars around. They looked baffled and unsure of what to do. Lestrade caught sight of the duo and walked up to them.

"Thank God you're here. What do you make of it?" The sergeant asked as Sherlock walked passed him.

"I need to speak with the captives. Now, if you don't mind," Sherlock demanded, hardly waiting for a response. Lestrade and John followed him inside and to the elevator, where the sergeant showed them through the tunnels of the building.

Soon they reached a guarded, iron door with four soldiers. Lestrade granted Sherlock and John access to the room without any trouble. Sherlock was the first to enter and found the raggedy man tied to a chair next to a ginger woman and a tall young man. John shut the door behind him and stared at the trio.

"Hello, Doctor," Sherlock greeted, a slight smile peeking through his lips. The Doctor smiled back and tilted his head back slightly.

"Hello, Sherlock."

"Doctor, this is Sherlock? Sherlock Holmes?" Amy insisted, dropping into a whisper. "He doesn't exist."

"Not in your universe, but Sherlock and Watson both exist in this one," he explained, his eyes fixed on Sherlock. John turned his back to the captives and looked at his friend.

"You know this mad man?"

"This mad man is the one that helped me solve my first two cases. Nearly taught me everything about seeing, not looking," Sherlock replied and texted Lestrade for the release of the three. That they were employees that had forgotten their badges. "Doctor, who've regenerated last time I saw you. You had spiky-ish that was all sticky-uppy hair back then."

"Ah, clever Sherlly. For a moment I was afraid you wouldn't recognize me," the Doctor laughed as Sherlock untied his bonds, along with Amy's and Rory's.

"That TARDIS of yours still makes that awful whirring noise," Sherlock answered, patting his hands off.

"Oi! I like that sound," he admitted, rubbing his wrists.

"What brings you here, Doctor. You usually don't drop by to see old friends," Sherlock noted, analyzing the situation.

"I did come here by accident, but not that I'm disappointed. It seems that the TARDIS has a mind of her own sometimes. Solved any new cases?" He asked as Sherlock briefly described all the cases that involved John up to that point. "Brilliant! And you've made a new friend!"

"Dr. John Watson," John greeted, shaking the Doctor's hand. He smiled and laughed.

"A real pleasure, John. I've never met a friend of Sherlock's before!"

"I've never had friends, Doctor. This is a new thing," Sherlock informed as Amy and Rory came up behind the Doctor.

"Oh, this is Amy and Rory Pond. My companions," the Doctor introduced as Amy shook both of the men's hands.

"Nice to meet you," she smiled, slightly worried. Were there other universes that had fictional characters, too? Sherlock nodded toward her, smiling politely. He read the couple, learning from them. They were married, or at least engaged, gauging from the ring on Amy's finger and the fact that they were standing close together. But not incredibly close, indicating that Amy either had second thoughts, or needed space. The fact that she was still traveling with the Doctor with her significant other indicated the first option. John snapped his fingers in front of Sherlock's face, calling his name.

"Sherlock! What are we going to do about them? They can't just waltz out of here. They broke in, whether accidentally or on purpose, to a top secret laboratory that only Mycroft knows about," John reminded as Sherlock smiled, which was a rare occurrence.

"They leave the same way they came, of course. Through time and space," Sherlock answered, turning to the Doctor. John sighed and held the bridge of his nose as the Doctor held up a finger.

"Slight problem. Well, maybe not so slight, but the TARDIS needs to recharge before we can move her," he informed as John covered his face in his hands.

"That is a problem," Sherlock answered, bringing his templed hands to the base of his chin. John glanced between the men and to the couple off to the side. Amy nodded, confirming the Doctor's words. "When will it be up and running again, Doctor?"

"One or two weeks at least," he replied, standing off to the side of the consulting detective. Sherlock nodded and thought, running off to his mind palace. John walked over to Amy and Rory and started to ask them questions about the sanity and origins of the Doctor. Of course, they couldn't give a straight answer, since most humans had no idea that aliens existed, which included John Watson.

"Well, I'll talk to Lestrade and inform him that it was a mistake and that you had forgotten your badges and actually do work here. You do still have your psychic paper, right, Doctor?" Sherlock figured out, looking up at the Doctor. The traveler nodded and pulled it out. "Good. Use that to show them your badges. About the TARDIS..."

"Is there anyway we can move it through an elevator or something?" John offered, looking around at everyone. Thinking it might be worth a try, Sherlock turned toward the Doctor.

"I don't know. Never had to get out and push," he joked, starting to pace. John sighed and sat down on a chair in the middle of the corner.

"Doctor, last time you came here, you landed on a rift, correct?" Sherlock inquired as the Doctor nodded his head, making Sherlock smile. "Did it land on one this time?"

"Yes! It did!" the Doctor exclaimed at the brilliance. "I can't leave in the closet, though."

"You may be able to. The custodial staff hasn't used that closet in years. If you keep it locked with the sonic screwdriver, then you shouldn't have any problems with the staff," Sherlock added as the Doctor smiled.

"And that is why you are the world renowned Sherlock Holmes!" The Doctor laughed and walked up to him. "What next?"

"You are more than welcome to stay at our flat, Doctor," Sherlock offered, removing his hands from his chin to his coat pockets. The Doctor smiled as John stand up.

"Sherlock-"

"John, they have nowhere else to go until the TARDIS is up and running again. He has helped me countless times and I feel that I should repay the favor," Sherlock answered, tilting his head toward his roommate.

"You don't do favors, Sherlock," John reminded in a low tone, making the Doctor curious.

"I do now," Sherlock replied, walking toward the door. "Doctor, Amy, Rory, please follow me. And keep that psychic paper handy. You may need it to leave the room alive. Or in this regeneration at least."


	2. Chapter 2

Sherlock guided the time lord and his companions along with John back up to the surface and out to Lestrade. The inspector ran up to them, wondering what the heck Sherlock was doing. Sherlock quickly explained the situation to him, but Lestrade seemed weary.

"So how did they end up in the closet?" the inspector asked, folding his arms. "Nothing has come or gone from that closet in weeks."

"Well, sir, I temporarily turned off the cameras so I could get the thing open. There was a rumor going around the compound, saying that there was a ghost in there. And, of course, Dr. Smith here didn't believe me. So, we opened it up and me, Dr. Smith, and Mr. Williams were trapped inside for a couple of days. We pounded on the door, but no one was even in the vicinity," Amy fibbed, looking guilty, but relived to be out of the closet. It seemed to satisfy Lestrade, but he sighed.

"Whatever. It's probably best that you take a week or two off from work just in case," the inspector suggested, walking back to his car, mumbling something about how this shouldn't be his division. Sherlock gave a calm smirk toward the Doctor before calling a taxi. As one came down, the Doctor and Amy got in first, then Sherlock. When John and Rory came behind, Sherlock stopped them.

"There's not enough room in this cab. You should call another," Sherlock suggested and closed the door. John and Rory watched as the taxi drove off along the empty street.

"Maybe we should start walking. We can catch a cab once we closer to the center of the city," John suggested to Rory and began down the street.

"I guess it's not a horrible idea," Rory mumbled, dashing up to John.

~~S~~

Amy stared out the window, bored of Sherlock's and the Doctor's reminiscing. She wondered where Rory was, whether or not they could get back to reality, and if there was a version of herself here. She knew that she probably shouldn't go find herself, since that could creat a massive paradox and disrupt something in the space time continuum. Suddenly, the car grew silent and Amy looked over to see why they were staring at her.

"What?" She replied, glancing between the two.

"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked, tilting his head to the side. Sherlock seemed not to care, but politely stayed quiet.

"Just thinking. Am I not allowed to think?" She asked offensively.

"Ah, a Scottish woman though and through," Sherlock laughed as Amy gave him a sharp look.

"So what? Could you tell by my accent?" She answered as the Doctor smiled, waiting for Sherlock's reply.

"That was the first thing that tipped me off, but if I spent years in Scotland, I would also gain a Scottish accent. But I can tell that most, if not all, of your ancestors were Scottish because of your reaction and behavior. Kind, yet strong. Also your red hair. Very rare to find in people that aren't Scottish or Irish," Sherlock explained, leaving out the smaller details. Usually he would want to show off, but she seems dangerous when provoked.

"Does he always do this? Explain my entire being to me just by looking and listening?" Amy asked the Doctor as he nodded.

"He's known as a Consulting Detective, and he's the only one in the world because he has that ability," the Doctor clarified as Sherlock gave a small grin. Amy only stared in shock and awe, wondering if she should be a bit frightened by this.

"This is ridiculous. Really? The only one in the world? Did you make up the job?" She pried, curious. Sherlock nodded.

"Yes, I did. Sometimes it pays well. John got a job as a medical doctor a while back to pay for rent," Sherlock answered, nodding slightly.

"And are you and John a think? You two seem awfully close," Amy continued, getting a shocked look from Sherlock.

"No, we are only roommates and friends. I am married to my work," he replied, sticking his chin out. Amy pursed lips and nodded, turning back to the window.

"I'm so glad you are able to make friends now. You were so lonely before," the Doctor mentioned, smiling grandly.

"You're one to talk, Doctor. Wandering alone through the universe. I remembered when we first met. In your previous regeneration. You said you were looking for a young woman. Rose, correct?" Sherlock asked, knowing that it was a slightly sensitive topic. The Doctor smiled weakly and sighed.

"Yeah, I was. Got the wrong universe. When I got back, I was able to find new companions. Martha. Donna. Amy and Rory. Oh, and I found Captain Jack again. Did I tell you about Captain Jack, Sherlly?" The Doctor implored, wanting to tell a story. Sherlock smiled and shook his head. Usually he hated when people talked about themselves, but the Doctor told them differently somehow. Like he was reading a fairy tale that had never been published. Amy sighed inaudibly as she had heard the story a dozen times before.

Soon, the cab dropped the trio off at 221 Baker Street. Sherlock paid the driver before the taxi drove away. The Doctor and Amy stared at the door, slightly gaping.

"We're really here. 221 Baker Street," Amy sighed as she started to giggle and jump. Sherlock came up behind them and unlocked the door.

"I'm sure John and your friend Tory-"

"Rory," Amy corrected.

"Rory should be here soon," Sherlock repeated, growing annoyed with the Scottish woman. He led them upstairs to the living room and kitchen. A few moments later, John and Rory came in, rather irritated.

"Sherlock! You home?!" John called out as he and Rory climbed the stairs.

"In the living room!" Sherlock called back as Amy and the Doctor examined the room. Rory joined them once they made it to the living space. Amy picked up the skull.

"Is this a real human skull?" She asked, looking at it carefully.

"Yes, used to be a friend of mine," Sherlock replied as Rory saw the holes in the wall behind the couch. He touched them to measure the size.

"These are bullet holes," he stated, shocked.

"Yeah, he gets bored," John whispered, leading Rory away from the wall. Sherlock cleared his throat.

"Are we going to point out the obvious all day, or can we have some tea?" He nearly shouted, silencing everyone.

"Tea sounds good," the Doctor decided as Sherlock disappeared into the kitchen. Amy walked up to John, staring at Sherlock.

"Is he mad?" She wondered under her breath.

"He insists he's not. Honestly, he's like a highly functioning sociopath. Said so himself. Not that I disagree, either. Although I wouldn't mention it to him. He might act proud again," John mentioned, offering a little advice.

"And we wouldn't want that," Amy agreed as Rory stood behind John and her.

"Has Sherlock even mentioned the Doctor? he's never mentioned Sherlock to us," Rory added, staring at John.

"No, he hasn't. I'm not surprised. It's never been important enough to talk about. Sherlock doesn't usually talk about his past," John informed, glancing back at Rory as the Doctor entered the kitchen. Sherlock looked up for a moment as he poured the hot water into the tea pot.

"Doctor, why did you chose to have companions again. I thought the loss over Rose would have stopped all that. Normal people would bounce so quickly," Sherlock questioned, settling the kettle back on the burner. The Doctor leaned against the wall and sighed.

"We're not normal people, Sherlly," the Doctor replied softly, making Sherlock smile.

"That's an excellent point. Still, I find it hard to believe. How many years has it been since lost Rose?" Sherlock countered, leaning against the counter.

"A few decades, but I've been traveling alone for most of it. I've lost people and some just left. It's easier to be alone," the Doctor sighed, glancing over to Rory and Amy. They were listening it John tell wild stories of the cases he had been on with Sherlock.

"It's safer, but we hate safe. Adventure and risk is what makes us alive," Sherlock stated, following the Doctor's line of vision.

"So painfully true," the time lord mumbled as Mrs. Hudson came into the room.

"Sherlock, are you making- Oh, you have guests. On another case, are you?" She guessed.

"Not exactly. What do you need?" He replied, staring at her.

"Nothing. I just heard the door open and wanted to make sure it was you," she answered as she turned to the Doctor. "What's your name?"

"Smith. Dr. John Smith," he responded, reaching out to shake her hand.

"John Smith? That's your name? Is it an alias?" Mrs. Hudson implored, politely accepting his hand shake.

"No, it's my true name," the Doctor lied, showing her the psychic paper that revealed his fake identification. She sighed and nodded at the Doctor.

"Sorry. It's just not everyday that you meet a man whose name really is John Smith," she apologized before she left, feeling a bit embarrassed. Sherlock grabbed the tea tray and took it into the living room. He set it down as he noticed Amy, Rory, and John were staring out the window.

"What is it?" The Doctor asked, standing behind Amy. She looked up at him and back out the window. There was a fiery message down below, saying 'Come out an play. -M'. Sherlock smirked at the message, hating that man even more.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sherlock. What does 'M' mean?" The Doctor asked as John sat down, his fingers on the bridge of his nose. Sherlock grabbed the tea and brought it into the living area.

"Tea anyone?" he asked, setting it on the coffee table. John was the only one to grab a cup. The Doctor walked up to Sherlock, his eyebrows raised.

"Sherlock. Who did that? Who wants to 'come out and play'?" he repeated as Sherlock looked the Doctor in the eye. The Doctor could feel the building tension, but didn't remove his gaze. Eventually, Sherlock sighed, growing bored of the game.

"James Moriarty. He popped up a while ago, met him for a total of five minutes. Tried to blow up John and shoot me. He's the Consulting Criminal," Sherlock answered, sitting across from John.

"Consulting Criminal? What's that?" Rory asked, looking between John and Sherlock. However, as Rory usually was, he was ignored by the room by the bigger question at hand. Why. Why was Moriarty contacting Sherlock? What did he want?

"He knows that only he matches my intellect, so we bump heads every so often. He tries to kill, and try to save. I fight for the angels. He fights for the demons," Sherlock recapped, taking a sip of his tea. The Doctor sighed and sat on the couch.

"Sherlock, you have a pychopath chasing after you, then. When did you become such a magnet for danger?" The Doctor whispered as Sherlock shrugged, not caring that Moriarty was trying to find him. Amy glanced at Rory, wondering what they should do. They couldn't sit there while Sherlock was targeted by a madman while they stayed in their flat.

"Very true, Doctor. I do have a psychopath chasing after me. However, since there is no way for me to avoid it, might as well accept it," Sherlock answered, his voice telling the rest that the subject needed to be changed. John exhaled and stood up, walking toward the stairs.

"I'm going to go upstairs and go to bed. I'm exhausted and very confused, which doesn't make a good pair," John announced as Sherlock threw a knife within inches of hitting John's nose. Amy gasped and jumped back into Rory, nearly knocking him over. John, instead of getting upset, he sighed and turned to Sherlock. "What, Sherlock? What do you want?"

"You can't got to bed yet, John. We still have to figure out where these three are going to sleep," Sherlock replied, slolwy turning his head to see him. John straightened his shirt and looked at the Doctor, Amy, and Rory.

"Fine, but they're not sleeping in my room," he stated as Amy stepped forward.

"We don't mind sleeping on the couch and chairs-" she began as Sherlock held up a hand. He looked at Amy and slowly smiled.

"That won't be necessary. Mrs. Hudson has rooms available upstairs," Sherlock grinned, switching to John. He threw his hands up in the air and ripped the knife out of the wall. He pointed toward Sherlock.

"I'm only talking to her if she's awake. I'm not gonna wake her up," John replied, not wanting to bother Mrs. Hudson for some strangers he had only met. However, his expression softened as Amy whispered her gratitude and bowed her head. It was nice for him to be recognized and thanked for once. He smiled toward her and left the room. Sherlock templed his hands underneath his chin again as Amy and Rory looked at the Doctor, who seemed to be pacing the floor.

"Doctor, please stop pacing. You're disrupting my thoughts," Sherlock complained, opening one eye to see him. The Doctor grabbed the chair's arm in frustration.

"I don't think that you realize how dangerous this game can be, Sherlly. A psychopath that wants to kill you is nothing to bat your eyes at. This is serious," The Doctor replied as Sherlock looked at him. Amy and Rory had to back away of the intense aura given off by the two men.

"I understand, Doctor. People have died at his hand. Why do you think I haven't answered him? I'm not suicidal, Doctor. I understand how dangerous this game can get," Sherlock informed, enforcing his side. The Doctor walked away, thinking that it was normal for Sherlock to think this. If he didn't respond, nothing could touch him. He didn't know how much he was wrong and how long the Doctor had thought the same thing. Something could always go wrong. John came back into the room, with Mrs. Hudson.

"She wanted to meet the three before she let them live here for a few weeks," John informed as Mrs. Hudson came up to the Doctor.

"So you're a friend of Sherlock's? I've never heard about you before. He's never talked about you," she stated, examining his eyes, noticing how old they looked.

"Mrs. Hudson, when do I ever talk about my past? That hardly is a good way to judge a person," Sherlock reminded, staring at her. She rolled her eyes and focused back on the Doctor. "I give him and the other two my full recommendation, and I will pay for their rent."

"Sherlock!" John shouted in surprise, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "We cannot afford to do that."

"Well, I could get a job in town," Rory offered, reffering to his nursing career back in his home universe. Amy agreed, thinking that she could get a job somewhere as a secretary.

"See, John? No problem!" Sherlock grinned, getting on John's nerves. He naturally didn't care what Sherlock decided, but this seemed to cross into his decision making territory, too. For some reason, there was a strange demeanor around the Doctor that made John want to shove him out of the flat on the spot. Amy and Rory had a less threatening aura, but still something.

"Whatever. Now I'm going to bed," John sighed, shaking the blade at Sherlock before going upstairs. Sherlock wished his friend a good night and turned back to the other three. Once Mrs. Hudson knew that she was getting paid for the extra rooms, she managed to sneak out a few moments before. Amy sat on the couch, pouring herself a cup of tea. Mrs. Hudson came back up the stairs and hesitantly gave the keys to the Doctor since she could feel the aura of distrust coming from John. However, she had known Sherlock longer than John, and trusted his word over John's.

"Thanks," the Doctor whispered as she disappeared through the doorway. As Sherlock found his violin by the wall, he gestured that it was time to get to bed. Luckily, there were two rooms available and the Doctor gave one key to the Ponds. He opened the door and found a boring room. A dark green wallpaper covered the room as a pale beige duve spread across the bed. A thin layer of dust told the Doctor that Mrs. Hudson hadn't dusted in a few days. He sat on the edge of the bed, hardly feeling tired. Unexpectedly, a knock came at the door. The Doctor called for them to come in as the door slowly opened, revealing John Watson.

"Sorry to bother you, Doctor. I just needed to ask you something," John answered as the Doctor motioned for him to come on.

"Sure thing, Dr. Watson," he smiled.

"John's fine," John corrected as he closed the door and stood by it. "How do you know Sherlock?"

"Well, that's quite a question, John. Not an easy one to answer, either. You understand the purpose of my big, blue box, right? The TARDIS?" The Doctor asked as John nodded. "Sometimes, when I travel through space and time, I get propelled in to the next dimension. Where Amy, Rory, and I are from, you are fictional characters in a very popular book. However, we're not from this universe. And this isn't the first time I've been thrown into this universe. That's how I met Sherlock. He was about nineteen when we first met and he was learning how to become a detective. I helped him on two assignments before my TARDIS powered back up and I had to leave again. I wanted to try once more to retrieve my long lost companion from decades ago."

"That asked more questions than it answered," John replied, sitting on the desk chair. The Doctor smiled, welcoming the questions. "We're fictional characters on your world? In a book? We aren't people?

"Well, not exactly. You're also in many movies and TV shows, but not living in a sense that you're in now," the Doctor answered as John nodded. He was surprised to see how well John was taking the information.

"Okay, not the strangest things I've ever heard. Anyway, why don't Amy or Rory recognize Sherlock?" John asked as the Doctor laughed under his breath.

"They weren't with me at the time. Not all my companions stay with me. My... aging process makes it difficult to keep all my friends," the Doctor answered, hanging his head for a moment.

"Alien?"

"How did you know?" the Doctor asked, smiling again.

"Not too hard to figure out. Humans can't travel through time and not far in space. You said something about regeneration and that you were surprised that Sherlock recognized you. After the last few months, I've learned a thing or two of deduction, Doctor. Of course, you're case was stranger and a little harder to figure out right away. That and your overall appearance and aura isn't normal, plus your eyes look old. I can't describe how or why, but they do. In the end, there's no way you could be human," John answered, sighing. The Doctor nodded, understanding what John meant.

"You have no idea," the Doctor murmured as John stood up.

"I don't think I want to know. Thank you, Doctor, for your time," John grinned, reaching for the doorknob.

"You're Sherlock's first real friend, John. Do you know that?" The Doctor whispered, loud enough for John to hear. John turned to see the time lord, confused.

"But I thought you knew him longer," John reminded, knitting his eyebrows together.

"Doesn't mean that I was a friend, John. I would love to have Sherlock to think of me as a friend, but I don't think he ever will," the Doctor replied, sending John a small, sad smile.

"What does he see you as, then?"

"That's the real question, isn't it?" The Doctor mumbled as John left, not understanding what he said. The Doctor stared at the floor, lost in thought. John closed the door and stood in the hall. Something about the Doctor seemed strange, like he was hiding something from him. John shook the thought away and went back to his own room.


	4. Chapter 4

As the sun rose the next morning, the Doctor sat up from his bed. Being a time lord, he didn't need to sleep as his companions did. Instead, he upgraded his screwdriver and stared at the ceiling. He thought of the face John made the night before and smiled. He hadn't gotten that reaction in a long time. He looked around before deciding to go downstairs and maybe make something for breakfast. The Doctor opened the door slowly, making sure it wasn't a squeaky hinge, and went down the hallway.

He opened the refrigerator to find something edible, but found a severed head instead. Skeptically, he closed the door before reopening it, making sure that he hadn't imagined it. He walked away from the morbid ice box and looked through the cupboards. He found an old box of dusty cereal and a strange penicillin experiment. Giving up, partly because he didn't want to discover more horrors, the Doctor walked into the living room and sat down.

"Couldn't sleep?" a deep voice resounded behind him. The Doctor just smiled and shook his head.

"I don't need to right now. Time lord," he reminded as Sherlock sat in the chair across from him. The Doctor sat up and rubbed his face. "What about you?"

"I hardly sleep as it is," Sherlock answered, a hint of a smile creeping across his lips. "I heard you talking to John last night. About him being my only friend. Doctor, I may have not thought of you as a friend back then, but things have changed. I have looked back on those moments and have evolved, if you will, from them. You are the closest thing I have to an old friend, Doctor."

"I'm glad to hear it, Sherlly," the Doctor grinned, looking at his hands. Sherlock sighed and sat back in his chair.

"Please don't call me 'Sherlly'. I'm not particularly fond of that name," he groaned, grabbing his violin. The Doctor smiled and looked up.

"Yet, you still don't get upset when I use it," he replied, making Sherlock hide a smile. "I saw that."

"If I got irritated every time you called me Sherlly, I doubt I would be able to keep a cool head," he snarked back, letting his grin show. The Doctor laughed under his breath, letting his chest shake a little. "Anyway, don't normal friends 'tease' each other?"

"I wouldn't call us normal," the Doctor replied, shaking his head. Sherlock smirked and closed his eyes.

"Still," Sherlock replied, plucking away at his violin. The Doctor watched for a while before sitting up again. He wasn't sure how to talk to Sherlock. He was more laid back than when he first met him. Maybe it had something to do with John. They did seem rather close.

"So whose head do you have in the fridge?" The Doctor asked, leaning forward. Sherlock stopped playing his concerto and smiled.

"No one of consequence. He was in the morgue, so I got rights to experiment," Sherlock answered, seeming a bit too happy with himself. The Doctor shook his head, realizing that it was still the same old Sherlock, even if he had grown some people skills. Sherlock waited for a continual interrogation, but the Doctor wasn't that curious. "I wanted to see how long it took for the hair to fall out. I'm trying a new poison and want to see the side effects after death."

"Are you working on a case like that?" the Doctor sighed, rubbing his face. He didn't want to hear about any suicide or murder cases, especially early in the morning. Sherlock shook his head.

"No. I was wondering if the poison had that side effect. I think I could be on the verge of discovering a new way to determine what poison had been used."

"Wonderful. Are you even working on a case right now?" the Doctor inquired, changing the subject quickly. Sherlock paused, not wanting the change it, but exhaled anyway.

"Not currently," Sherlock answered, playing his instrument again. The Doctor sighed and nodded. "You wouldn't believe how bored I've been, Doctor. Without cases, I feel like a waste of space."

"Is that why there are bullet holes in the wall?" The Doctor guessed, noticing the small holes. Sherlock smiled.

"Precisely," he answered as John came down the stairs. He seemed surprised that Sherlock and the Doctor were up so early, but they probably had their reasons. "Good morning, John."

"Good morning, Sherlock, Doctor," Watson replied, walking into the kitchen for some fresh coffee. Sherlock watched his friend, hoping that he wouldn't open the cupboards. "Do we have any food, Sherlock? It's awfully rude to invite guests over when there isn't any food."

"I don't think so. It's about time we did grocery shopping," Sherlock answered, his eyes closed as he held his violin. John rolled his eyes.

"You mean it's time for me to do the shopping," he corrected, staring at Sherlock.

"You read my mind, John," he chuckled as John grabbed the house keys.

"I'll go, but you don't you dare go anywhere. I don't want to wander through London while Moriarty is out there. Especially when you have friends following you around," John pointed, taking the coffee with him.

"I don't know the other two-"

"Don't leave this flat!" John called out, already half way down the stairs. The Doctor smiled to himself, looking back at Sherlock.

"So what are we going to do today?" The Doctor hinted, raising his strangely thin eyebrows. Sherlock paused a moment.

"Stay at the flat," he replied as the Doctor gave him a quizzical look.

"What?"

"John said to stay in the apartment, but I have a feeling we wouldn't have to leave, even if we wanted to," Sherlock explained, his eyes snapping open. He looked around the room briefly.

"What's wrong?"

"The window has been opened, the dust has been swiped at and blown away on the sill. There's a trace of dirt on the floor, meaning that someone came in from outside. The lamp is about a few centimeters off from where it was yesterday, suggesting that it had been moved during the night. If you look at the doorway, you'll notice two faint fingerprints," he quickly examined. "Someone broke in last night and came though this way. Come, Doctor, lets go see where the trail leads."

The Doctor agreed right away and followed his friend into the hallway. There were footprints in the carpet, put there from heavy boots. The Doctor started to get nervous, hoping that Amy and Rory were still all right in their room. If someone had broken in and went upstairs, which they did, they would be the first ones in danger. Sherlock carefully examined the footprints, memorizing the size, type, and brand of the shoe before leading him upstairs.

"Amelia! Rory!" The Doctor called out as they reached the top of the stairs. Luckily, yet oddly, the couple appeared in the doorway, worrying Sherlock.

"What?" Amy asked, hardly awake. The Doctor sighed and brought both of them into a hug. Sherlock continued to look throughout the second floor, searching for more clues.

"Amy, someone broke in last night. We were worried that you two were in danger," the Doctor explained, grabbing each of their shoulders. Amy nodded slowly as Rory sighed. Sherlock opened a closet across from the Doctor's room as a body fell out. Amy screamed and covered her mouth as Sherlock reached down and checked the man's pulse.

"It's faint. Go call an ambulance," Sherlock commanded, rolling the man onto his back. Why would someone break in to lock themself in a closet? Something wasn't adding up. Amy ran down to the kitchen and dialed the police.

"What happened to him?" Rory whispered to the Doctor.

"I have no idea. Hopefully the police will shed some more light on the subject," he replied, staring at the massive man with the heavy boots. Sherlock stood from the dying man and turned to the Doctor and Rory. There was a rare form of panic in his eyes.

"We need to wait downstairs. I'll go inform Mrs. Hudson, but you two stay in the living room," Sherlock decided, dashing down the stairs. Rory nodded, biting his lip. He wanted to know what was wrong with the man and find out why he was in the apartment in the first place.

"Doctor, would it be possible that the man was running away from something or someone?" Rory suggested as they wandered downstairs. Amy was still on the phone with the police as they went into the living room.

"That would make sense. That was my first thought when we found the man unconscious in the closet. The only question is: why was he unconscious?" the Doctor responded, pacing the room. Rory paused a moment before sitting on the couch. Amy came back in, a little shaken up.

"Called the police. Where'd Sherlock go?" she implored, sitting next to Rory and watching the Doctor pace back and forth.

"He went to go tell Mrs. Hudson what happened," Rory replied since the Doctor was too deep in thought to hear her question. Amy shrugged and sat back, feeling more tired than the night before. Rory leaned on his hands, staring out into space as Sherlock came back up the stairs.

"Are the police on their way?" he asked, looking right at Amy. She nodded, her eyelids feeling heavy. He nodded once and looked at the Doctor, almost confused. "Doctor, what are you doing?"

"Pacing and thinking. What do you think?" he snapped back, continuing to walk in circles. Sherlock took a step back to get out of his path and turned back to Amy and Rory.

"Well, John went to the store, so he'll be back soon with some sort of food," Sherlock informed, mostly talking to Amy and Rory. Amy smiled and dipped her head, loving the idea of breakfast. Sherlock sat on the other side of Rory and watched the Doctor pace along with both of them.

"Doctor, you're making me dizzy," Amy complained, leaning on her arm. The Doctor shot her a glare, telling her to deal with it and that he couldn't effectively think without pacing. Amy rolled her eyes as she started to fall asleep again. Rory side glanced at Sherlock, who just stared forward at the wall.

"So, you and Amy are-" Sherlock began as Rory nodded.

"Yes, we are," he answered immediately, still not looking at him.

"Good. Good. She's very attractive," Sherlock added, rubbing his hands together. He never understood the importance of small talk, but wanted to ease the tension the best he could. He did invite them into his home for the time being. However, Sherlock had no idea that he had touched a sore spot. Rory grew jealous every time someone mentioned something about Amy and how pretty she was.

"She is," Rory mumbled, glancing toward Amy, who was out cold. He sighed and crossed his arms. An awkward silence enveloped the room and found that there conversation had died violently.

Soon, John came through the door and found the odd situation. He nearly walked out of the apartment because of the toxicity in the air. He would never have thought that Sherlock would put up with something so awkward as sitting next to a man with his sleeping significant other. He set the sweet rolls and tea on the table and walked into the living room. Sherlock and Rory looked up before standing up concurrently. Amy stirred awake from the wafting aroma of the rolls.

"About time you got back," she mumbled, starting toward the kitchen. John let her through as she opened the sweet rolls. Sherlock let Rory follow his wife into the kitchen as he went to John.

"Someone broke in," Sherlock mentioned, catching John's immediate attention.

"What?" he whispered as Sherlock told the entire story about the man upstairs. "So, he's just lying upstairs, unconscious, on the floor, barely alive?"

"Yep," Sherlock answered, thinking about it for a moment.

"God, Sherlock," he mumbled as the Doctor stopped pacing and interrupted the conversation.

"I've figured it out!"


	5. Chapter 5

"You've figured it out Doctor?" Sherlock asked, skeptical of the Doctor. Rory looked toward the time lord whereas Amy ate her breakfast, hardly caring at the moment.

"Yes. If he was running away from someone, like Rory suggested, maybe he got caught for a second. Maybe injected or beaten in the head before he made it inside," he explained as Mrs. Hudson came in.

"Sherlock, the police are here," she explained as Lestrade and Anderson came into the living area. Sherlock straightened up and nodded.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hudson," he replied, smiling toward his landlady. Mrs. Hudson nodded and went about her business again. Lestrade smiled kindly to her as she left.

"Where's the culprit?" Lestrade asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Upstairs on the floor," John answered, staring at the two. Anderson scoffed, irritating John.

"You left him on the floor?" Anderson laughed, thinking it was a joke. However, John and Sherlock didn't give any sign that they were kidding. "Oh my god. Is he dead? You can't leave people unconscious on the floor."

"I didn't want to move him. You two should have been faster, honestly," Sherlock retorted, hating Anderson. Lestrade walked up the steps, followed by Anderson and the rest of the residents of 221b. The inspector checked the man's pulse before standing up again. It seemed that the man was okay, but he desperately needed a hospital. Sherlock templed his hands underneath his hands, waiting for an answer.

"He seems to be alright. His heart rate is faint, but he's breathing. That's something at least. It's nice not to have to clean up a cadaver," Lestrade mentioned, examining the man. Sherlock deduced that he had been some form of construction worker, telling by his build and boots. The Doctor sighed, relieved, as Rory and Amy stood behind him. Anderson glanced at them, realizing that he had no idea who the new people in the flat were. He knew for a fact that Sherlock only had one friend, if you could call John that.

"Sherlock. Who are these people?" He implored, turning toward the Doctor. Sherlock took a deep breath and turned to Anderson.

"Some old friends. This is Doctor John Smith, Mrs. Amelia Williams, and Mr. Rory Williams. They worked at the laboratory we investigated at yesterday. Honestly, Anderson, I knew you were stupid, but I thought you had a better memory than that," Sherlock introduced, insulting him toward the end. Anderson gave him a dirty look, making Amy smile.

"Nice to meet you, Anderson," the Doctor greeted, holding his hand out to him. Anderson shook it politely, but didn't really want to have anything to do with him.

"Nice to meet you, too, Dr. Smith," Anderson replied, wondering if he was a part of the witness protection program. Sherlock cleared his throat and turned back to Lestrade. The man still laid in his stomach on the floor.

"Who is he?" He asked, folding his arms. Lestrade shrugged, having no idea.

"We'll have to figure that out at the station. We'll let you know in a few days," Lestrade answered, dialing the ambulance service to come pick up the man. Sherlock nodded, thinking he would figure it out before Lestrade even started. John came upstairs, a little irritated.

When the Doctor, Rory, and Amy found that the man was okay, they headed downstairs for some breakfast. The Doctor told John where they would be if anyone needed them. John nodded, giving a smile. Sherlock hardly noticed their departure as he examined the man.

"Does he have an ID on him?" Anderson asked, thinking rationally. Sherlock looked to Lestrade, who shrugged and went to find one.

"Here it is," the inspector answered, opening the wallet. Sherlock peered over his shoulder to find out more. The card read 'Charles Hector', 29, 6' 3", and he was a donor. However, there was another card next to the driver's license. It was a security card for the biggest construction company in London. Sherlock pointed it out to Lestrade as he took it out. "Interesting. Looks like I have some calls to make, then."

"I'd say," Sherlock answered as Lestrade ordered an ambulance before calling the construction company. John heard a crash from downstairs, thinking that the Doctor had broken something. He groaned and walked down to the kitchen. "When should the ambulance get here?"

"Soon. It's only a few blocks away," Lestrade answered in between calls. Sherlock nodded vacantly as he narrowed his eyes toward the man. Even if the Doctor said that he was in trouble, how did he get through the second story window? Something wasn't adding up. John came back upstairs, cutting off Sherlock's focus.

"What is it, John?" Sherlock asked, his hand on his jaw. John exhaled and looked at Lestrade before turning back to Sherlock.

"Dr. Smith... left."

"What?"

"He left. Along with Mrs. and Mr. Williams. They're just gone," John answered as Lestrade looked at Sherlock. The consulting detective removed his hand from his chin as he went downstairs. He picked up his phone on the table and searched the flat.

"Doctor? Doctor!" Sherlock shouted as a text on his screen appeared. He checked the kitchen before he read the text. He paled and dropped the phone on the couch.

Hello Sherlly. Come out to play. I've already gathered your friends.

-M

Sherlock exhaled, growing worried, and grabbed his phone again. He ran back upstairs and found John and Lestrade where he had left them.

"Sherlock? Where'd you go?" Lestrade asked as Sherlock grabbed John's shoulder.

"Moriarty has them," he informed, looking up at Lestrade. The policeman picked up his phone once again and called the station. John remained speechless for a moment, taking in the severity of the situation.

"What are we going to do?" John asked, his face stern. Sherlock shook his head.

"We have to go find them," he deduced, running out the door and grabbed his coat on the way out.

The Doctor slowly woke up and found himself tied to a chair with Amy and Rory on his left. He quickly tried to check his pockets for his screwdriver, but found that the bounds were stronger than he thought.

"Oh, you're up," a man stated behind him. The Doctor smiled and looked ahead.

"James Moriarty," the Doctor answered, startling the man. Moriarty walked around the chair and stared at the Doctor.

"How do you know my name? Very few are privileged with that information," he hissed, clearly angry. The Doctor rolled his eyes, hating to deal with this kind of people.

"Long story, Jim. Saw the message you left for Sherlock, though," he replied, looking around. He counted several exits and not one guard. The doors were probably armed with explosives of some sort.

"What is your relationship with Mr. Holmes?" Moriarty demanded, not approving of the Doctor's answer.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He replied, giving him a smile. Moriarty pointed at him and backed away.

"I would love to know, actually. Are you an ally?" Moriarty guessed, rubbing his hands together.

"A friend."

"Sherlock doesn't have friends. Except for his pet, John. Who are you?" Moriarty asked, hardly able to deduce anything from the man. Not one inch of this man, or his friends beside him, made sense. His jacket suggested it could be decades old, yet they didn't make those jackets back then. Not to mention the bow tie. It looked years old, yet it also looked like rather new. Nothing like you would see in the early twentieth century. Even his eyes looked older than the rest of himself.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor responded, a smile breaking across his lips.

"Doctor? Doctor Who?" He snapped, looking at him more closely.

"That's the big question. Anyway, I've known Sherlock for several years. Just been traveling quite a bit and thought I could pop by. Who are you to Mr. Holmes?" The Doctor countered, raising his eyebrows. Moriarty laughed softly and shook his head.

"His biggest enemy," he replied as Amy started to wake up. "Ah, another one awake."

"Don't touch her!" The Doctor commanded, trying to jump out of his chair. Moriarty laughed harder at the Doctor's attempt to save his friend.

"As if I would. What would do about if I did?" He taunted as he neared Amy. She looked at her captor and turned to the Doctor.

"Doctor? Who's the freak in front of me?" She demanded, not in a great mood. Rory shook his head slowly, coming around. Moriarty stared at Amy, astounded.

"Excuse me!" The villain shouted, upset at her words. She looked up at him again.

"What?"

"You don't call people freaks. That's utterly rude," Moriarty warned, pointing a finger in his face.

"I care why? I think I get an excuse to be rude since you kidnapped me! Or did you forget, moron?!" Amy shouted, her blood boiling. Moriarty opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't think of anything. He looked at the Doctor.

"Don't look at me! You're the one that made her angry!" He declared, shying away from him. Rory shrugged, agreeing with the raggedy man. Moriarty glared at his prisoners before he landed on Amy. She looked pissed, and nearly strong enough to cut the bonds if she was enraged. He leaned to her, examining her.

"You're Scottish," he concluded, looking at her hair and eyes.

"Good job! How'd you figure that one out?" She taunted, her eyes burning. He backed away and smirked.

"I'll be back later. Hopefully Sherlock will be with me next time. For your sake, I'd hope he'll join me," Moriarty laughed, punching a code into the keypad before leaving. The Doctor sighed and looked to his companions.

"Are you all okay?" he asked, worried for them. Rory nodded twice as Amy grumbled an affirmative.

"Do you think Sherlock will come?" Rory whispered as Amy boiled over. The Doctor bit his lip and shrugged.

"I should hope so, Rory, but I don't know for sure," the Doctor answered, staring at the door. He wasn't

prepared for a fight, and wasn't willing to fight one. He searched his pockets again for his sonic screwdriver again, but found it on a table across the room along with his psychic paper. He groaned and leaned back. How was he going to get out of this one?


	6. Chapter 6

"Where are we going, Sherlock? We don't even know where they went or what happened. It's a wild goose chase," John sighed once they got out of the cab. They had been searching the entire city of London and there weren't one centimeter closer to finding the Doctor and his companions. Sherlock stood on the sidewalk, examining the place.

"That's true, but we do know Moriarty's habits. They will most likely be in some sort of warehouse or abandoned building that no one cares about. We just have to go figure out which one," Sherlock answered, starting down the street. John took a deep breath to calm himself before following his friend.

"Shouldn't we let the police take care of this?" John sighed, wondering if chasing after a kidnapper was a safe idea. Sherlock shook his head.

"They don't know what they wouldn't doing. It's safer for them and for us if we find them ourselves. Moriarty wanted me to come out and play. Not some bozo cops," Sherlock retorted, scoffing at the end. John nodded, pursing his lips. They turned a corner and found a very large warehouse behind some apartment buildings. Sherlock turned into the alleyway and dashed into the building.

"Sherlock! Do you know if this is the right building?" John called after him as he started running. Sherlock didn't hear him, as he was already too far ahead, but knew that this warehouse was the best chance they had. Moriarty didn't like to be cut off from society, thinking that it would be too suspicious and cliche. He would something out in the open. In plain sight. Where no one would notice unless they were looking for it. And Sherlock was looking for it. He stopped in front of the building and noticed one door. Sherlock put his ear to the wall and heard nothing. It was definitely abandoned and there wasn't a time bomb, which was good. But it still might've been armed. "Sherlock!"

"What is it, John?" he replied as John panted.

"Are you sure we have the right place?"

"No, but we're investigating. Sometimes that includes trial and error. Oh, and don't touch that door handle," Sherlock advised as John looked at it.

"Why not? Aren't we going in?"

"Yes, but that door is most likely armed with some sort of explosive. Even if Moriarty wanted to blend in, he wouldn't leave himself vulnerable. No, we have to find another way in," Sherlock answered, templing his hands underneath his chin. John nodded, staring at the door.

"Are we climbing through the window, then?" John muttered, raising an eyebrow. Sherlock shook his head.

"No, we're going to go through the roof."

"The roof?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Sherlock implored as John rubbed his face.

"Why don't we go around back and see if there's another entrance? Then we'll go to the roof," John suggested, crossing his arms.

"What if it's armed?" Sherlock countered as John started to push him around the building.

"Then we'll go through the roof. Or maybe a window," he retorted, not wanting to try and scale a three story building. Sherlock shrugged and nodded, thinking it was a decent idea. As they came around the bend, they noticed that there was a truck pulling in. "What the heck is a truck here for?"

"I don't know. Let's go," Sherlock whispered, sneaking passed the truckers and workers. John followed him silently, wondering why it was so easy to get inside. They snuck in the shadows, peering into every corridor and room. However, they were all vacant of people and objects. John looked at Sherlock, surprised at his lack of interest in this. Soon, they came to a room with three people tied to chairs with their backs toward John and Sherlock. John immediately recognized them and tried to stand up when Sherlock pulled him back down.

"What?" John murmured, realizing that there was something he didn't see.

"It's too easy. What is Moriarty up to?" Sherlock breahted and leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes and templed his hands, thinking of plausible explanations. John scouted out the room, noticing that there were no weapons or explosives anywhere but the door at the other end. He stared at it for a while, wondering what was going on. However, contrary to the fact that it was armed, it opened without the building imploding. John tapped Sherlock to see as Moriarty walked into the room.

"Back already?" the Doctor asked as two men followed Moriarty into the room and shut the door.

"I know I told you that I'd kill you next time if I wasn't with Sherlock, but things have changed. It seems that I have more information, Doctor Smith. However, my records just say Doctor, and your face has changed. I'm not sure how that's possible, but I'll find out. Anyway, my source tells me you have an unbelievably interesting machine. Or space craft. I want it," Moriarty stated, looking at a folder that the man on his right gave to him.

"Spacecraft? What are you talking about?" the Doctor bluffed, laughing lightly. Moriarty rolled his eyes and dropped the folder to the ground.

"Oh, don't get smart with me, Doctor. I know you're not from this planet and you have a time and space machine. Don't you dare deny it!" Moriarty hissed as he put his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Now, tell me where it is and no one will get hurt."

"Where are you getting this information?" the Doctor demanded, ignoring Moriarty's warning.

"Why would I tell you?"

"Do you want the machine or not?"

"You are hardly in a position to demand such things, Doctor. Especially when I have you and your companions captive," Moriarty reminded, cocking his head to the side. The Doctor shrugged.

"I doubt you could fly the craft anyway," he mumbled as Moriarty drew closer.

"What did you say?" he hissed as the Doctor sighed.

"I don't think you could even fly the thing. Regardless, why would I hand such a thing over to you? What would you do with a TARDIS?" the Doctor asked, giving him a quizzical look.

"TARDIS?" Moriarty repeated, confused.

"Time And Relative Dimension In Space," Amy added under her breath. Moriarty nodded, starting to hate her.

"Whatever. Tell me where it is," Moriarty concluded, still standing in front of the Doctor. He shook his head defiantly as Moriarty ushered one of his men forward to smack him. The Doctor froze at the impact and spat out blood. "Sorry. I don't like to get my hands dirty. Tell me where it is."

"No."

"My patience is wearing thin!" Moriarty screamed as both the men descended on the Doctor. He shook his head as the other man attacked him. Amy screamed as the Doctor looked at Moriarty.

"As is mine," the Doctor whispered as the men came off him. Moriarty grunted and sent the henchmen away, the Doctor's face beginning to swell.

"I'll give you until this afternoon to tell me where it is. If you don't tell me, I'll kill the Scottish Girl. Then Big Nose," Moriarty warned, walking out.

"Hey!" Rory shouted, ignored by the consulting criminal. Moriarty waved his hand before leaving, punching in a key code. John looked at Sherlock, startled. He nodded his head and had John follow him inside. They snuck up behind the Doctor and his companions. Amy started to shout at the noises behind her, thinking it was Moriarty again. However, John covered her mouth and showed himself. She relaxed, glad she hadn't bitten his hand.

"About time you got here," the Doctor smiled, starting to fade. Sherlock untied him as Amy and John released Rory.

"Sorry, Doctor. Took us awhile to find the place," Sherlock answered, putting his shoulder underneath the Doctor's arm. "Let's get out of here."

"Agreed," Rory whispered as they made their way through the back. They stopped and hid in a closet once they heard Moriarty's voice from down the hall.

"Where is Sherlock? He should've been here by now," he complained, walking down the corridor with his two men from earlier, apologizing. "Don't apologize, go get him. He should be here somewhere. I can feel him near."

"Yes Sir!" they saluted and ran down the hall, away from Moriarty. He rolled his eyes, storming away.

"Idiots," he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he whistled down the hall. Sherlock pressed his ear against the door, making sure that the coast was clear.

With caution and silence, the rescue mission succeeded and ended up in the cabs again. This time, John offered to accompany Rory and Amy as Sherlock took the Doctor back to the flat first. Sherlock smiled at John as they entered the first cab. Amy sat on a nearby bench, wiped out.

"What a day," she mumbled as Rory stood next to John.

"Hey, thanks back there. I thought we were in some real trouble," Rory mentioned, clasping John's shoulder. Watson smiled and nodded.

"Anytime, Rory. I'm just glad that you and the other two are alright. Do you think the Doctor will be okay, though? He took quite a beating," John replied, looking up at Rory. He shrugged.

"He should be. He's gone through much worse," he answered, thinking of the poison lipstick and the astronaut. John nodded, relieved with the information. "Good."

"TAXI!" Amy shouted, jumping up from the bench, startling Rory and John. The cab screeched to a stop as Amy started toward the car. Rory and John glanced at each other before staring at Amy. "What? You two weren't looking out for one. I want to get back to the flat before Moriarty notices we're gone."

"Good point," Rory replied, jumping in the car. John followed, looking toward the warehouse before sitting down. Amy instructed the cabbie where to go before they pulled away from the curb.

"So, did you figure anything out about the man upstairs?" Amy asked John, staring at him. He looked up from the window.

"What? Oh, no, not yet. He was a construction worker, but nothing significant. Nothing that tells us why he ran in there. He should have been taken to the hospital by now," John answered, leaning on his fist. Rory nodded, thinking about that situation.

"Will we be able to see him?" she continued, startling both of them.

"Why would you want to see him?" John replied, concerned.

"If he wakes up, shouldn't he be able to tell us what he was doing there?" Amy thought out loud, thinking that it was a little obvious. Rory shrugged, agreeing with his wife.

"Makes sense. I'll text Sherlock to make sure that he knows where the man ends up," John informed, turning his attention to his phone. Rory grabbed his wife's hand and squeezed it, telling her that she did a good job. She smiled at him and waited for a response from Sherlock.


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor passed out in the car across from Sherlock. Sherlock sighed and shook his head. He was surprised that the Doctor had gone this long. The men were at least twice as big and strong as the Doctor was.

Once they arrived at the flat, Sherlock woke him up and helped him inside. Sherlock was surprised that the Doctor had enough left to make to his room. Sherlock looked around the room and found it was even more barren than his own room. He placed the Doctor's screwdriver and pad of paper on the nightstand beside the bed before leaving. If it were any other person, Sherlock would have called a medical doctor, but a human here wouldn't know how to treat him.

While Sherlock sat on the sofa in the living room, John came in, leading Amy and Rory inside. John and Rory went into the kitchen as Amy walked up to Sherlock.

"Where is he?" She asked as Sherlock pointed upstairs. She nodded and dashed upstairs as Rory sighed. John poured the now cold tea into his cup.

"So what do we do now? Did we figure out who that man in the hall way was?" Rory asked, taking a stale sweet roll. Sherlock shook his head as he took out his phone, wondering himself. Rory nodded and turned to John again.

"So, Lestrade hasn't found out anything, but he's says we're welcome to come investigate once he wakes up," Sherlock informed after he received a text. John poured the tea down the drain and sighed.

"You mean he doesn't want you to go, but Lestrade told you that there was no way he could stop you," John interpreted and looked at Rory. Sherlock shrugged and got up from where he was sitting.

"Ready to go, then, John?" Sherlock asked as he grabbed his coat and scarf. Rory stood up as John followed the detective.

"I'm coming, too," he decided, freezing John and Sherlock.

"What about Amy and the Doctor?" John asked, surprised at Rory. He shrugged.

"Amy can take care of the Doctor while we're gone. I'd probably stay down here anyway," Rory reasoned, standing next to the duo. John pursed his lips and nodded.

"Welcome aboard," Sherlock smiled as he opened the door. Rory dipped his head as he and John left the flat.

After paying the cabbie, John met up with Rory and Sherlock in front of the hospital. They remained silent as Sherlock looked at his phone again and led the way. Rory glanced at John before following Sherlock inside.

The intruder was found on the fourth floor, surrounded by policemen and Lestrade. Sherlock tapped the inspector on the shoulder and smiled.

"Ah, Sherlock. Thought you would be coming. He's in there. He's been awake for about fifteen minutes, so go easy on him. We just had our usual investigation," Lestrade warned as he let Sherlock pass with John and Rory. The hefty man laid on the hospital bed, surprised to see them there.

"Who are you?" He asked as Sherlock smiled.

"I'm the one whose apartment you broke into," he replied, holding up a finger as the man tried to apologize. "I'm not pressing charges. I just wanted to know why you went in there. Where you running from someone?"

"Yes. Yes I was. I was running from a man. Well, his henchmen. I found something at work yesterday that I shouldn't have found. Now my boss has it out for me," the man explained, looking at Sherlock. He nodded as he wrote it down.

"How did you get to our second story window?" Sherlock continued, wowing Rory. John smiled and crossed his arms, proud of his friend.

"I...I don't know. I was just running through the streets when I saw the light on. Next thing I knew I was climbing through the window. They stopped at the bottom and I hid in the closet. That's the last thing I remember," the man recalled, unnerved by the fact. Sherlock pursed his lips and put away his notepad.

"I see," he replied as Rory came through.

"Who's the boss at your company?" He asked, startling the man.

"Mr. Tanner Bennett. He runs the biggest construction company in London," the man answered, looking at Sherlock.

"That's all we needed to know. Thank you," John cut in, leading the men out of the hospital room. Sherlock nodded and looked at Rory. Once they were down the hall, he turned to Rory.

"Why did you ask for his boss?" Sherlock asked, curious. Rory shrugged.

"It's what the Doctor would ask. I wouldn't be surprised if it was an alien that tried to kill him. The Doctor's always running into creatures like that," Rory explained, staring at Sherlock. John raised his eyebrows, impressed by the companion.

"Interesting. Actually sounds plausible, given the Doctor is a alien. Otherwise, I would tell you that you were out of your mind," Sherlock complimented as the walked back outside. John patted Rory's back and led him outside.

The Doctor blinked his eyes open and found Amy reading at the foot of his bed. He touched his face, relieved to know that the swelling had gone down. Amy looked up from her book and smiled.

"About time you woke up. It's been about an hour," she smiled, placing the book on the dresser. The Doctor shook his head.

"What happened?"he whispered, finding that his head still hurt.

"You've been out. You passed out because of your injuries to the head," Amy explained, smiling still. The Doctor nodded and brought his legs to the side of the bed. "Hey now, don't get up yet."

"Fine," he replied, laying back down.

"I heard Rory left with John and Sherlock a while ago, so they should be back soon," Amy informed, smiling. The Doctor nodded and leaned against the wall.

"I see. Where's Amy?" He asked, looking calm. Amy froze and smiled again.

"Doctor. I am Amy. Amelia Pond. Remember?" She laughed, putting a hand on the bed post. He shook his head.

"No, you're not. She would be a little more concerned with my health. She wouldn't sit by and read while her best friend laid unconscious. Not to mention you're smiling too much. I think my Amelia would be smacking me repeatedly once I woke up. Where is Amy?" He asked again, losing his patience. She shook her head and laughed.

"You're too smart for us, Doctor," she grinned, flipping her hair back.

"Us?"

"Did you think that he'd only send one?" She giggled.

"Rory," he murmured as he ran out of the bed. She stopped him and shoved him back down. "What do you want?"

"Mr. Moriarty needs the TARDIS for a reason. He plans to help us invade earth. We've cut a deal with him. If he helped us obtain the earth, then he could rule over the people," the Amy clone explained, locking the door. The Doctor panicked, remembering that he had left his screwdriver and paper at the warehouse. "Oh, don't worry. Amy and Rory are safe. For now. We need your time machine. I think it would be wise for you to hand it over."

"I don't think that would be a good idea at all," the Doctor answered, squinting at the Amy clone. She growled, surprising him. "What planet are you from?"

"You are clever, aren't you? We're from the planet Teptholoa, light years away. It took three centuries for us to get here," she replied, crossing her arms. The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "We are sentient beings with no identity. We are able to shift into any creature needed to blend in. My partner, 'Rory', and I are the only survivors of our journey. We need a new planet, since ours is dying. However, it was sheer luck that Moriarty heard about your TARDIS."

"And what makes you think I care?" he questioned, hardly caring about this invading race. This was still the earth, even if it was in a parallel dimension. He was still going to lay down his life for this world. Amy laughed and caressed his cheek.

"You'll care once you see your friends dead at your feet. Don't underestimate Moriarty, Doctor. He would kill his mother in an instant if it benefited him. You have to ask yourself what's more important: your friends or your TARDIS. What will it be?"

"Neither. I think you underestimate the power of the Ponds. If they want to live, they will go to great lengths to make sure it happens. Rory. Do you remember him? He did few times, and yet he's still here. The Last Centurion. Amy. Of course you know her. She saved planets and creatures, even if it meant that she may not survive. They are strong, and possibly the strongest people I have ever met. If you think you can intimidate me by threatening my companions will convince me to give up the TARDIS, you are sorely mistaken," the Doctor replied, glaring at the woman. She shifted before leaving to the door.

"You'll regret this decision!" she shouted, slamming the door. The Doctor leaned back, thinking of a plan to get the real Amy and Rory back. Regardless of their strength, they were still somewhere unknown and dangerous, which did scare him. He was just glad that he didn't show the clone that he was.

As Sherlock grabbed the key to the flat, Amy burst out the door and took Rory's arm, dragging him away from the apartment. John looked at Sherlock and shrugged, thinking it was just Amy angry with him for not telling her where he went. He had been with a lot of women who were like that, so he didn't give it much thought. Once they came in, they found the Doctor stumbling down the stairs.

"You're up already?" John asked, helping the timelord down the rest of the way. The Doctor thanked him and sat on the couch.

"Timelord. I heal faster than you would expect. Anyway, there's been a game changer," he replied, lounging on the couch, still in pain. He glanced in the mirror and noticed that his black eye started to disappear.

"Game changer?" Sherlock repeated, standing in front of the Doctor. He nodded.

"It seems that we have an invasion problem here, and not a pretty one. Moriarty has made a deal with the aliens," the Doctor explained as Sherlock nodded. John glanced between the men and opened his mouth.

"Aliens?" John wondered aloud. "An alien invasion? Like on the telly?"

"Exactly, John. Well, sort of. Ever seen Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It's not like that either, but similar. They're shapeshifters, but have no true body. They are a conscious being without a physical form. They need the TARDIS to bring the rest of them here. They need a new planet," the Doctor explained as Sherlock and John both listened.

"How is Moriarty involved?" Sherlock asked once the Doctor was finished.

"Apparently he wants to be King of the World," he replied, sitting forward. John shook his head, thinking that this was crazy. Sherlock templed his hands beneath his chin and smiled.

"How interesting," he mumbled as John stepped in front of Sherlock.

"What about Amy and Rory? They just ran down the street," John informed, walking toward the door. The Doctor shook his head and rubbed his face. Surprised, Sherlock and John both took a step toward the time lord.

"That wasn't Amy and Rory, John. Those were the shapeshifters. Amy and Rory are still in Moriarty's custody," the Doctor explained, looking up to the duo. They looked at each other, realizing how much trouble they were really in.


	8. Chapter 8

Amy slowly woke from a drugged sleep. She found herself tied to a table with Rory on the slab next to her. She was in a stark white room with no windows and one door, which wasn't a great combination. It didn't give a location or any means of a plausible escape. That was probably the idea, though. She struggled under the bonds, finding them stronger than she expected.

"Rory!" Amy hissed, trying to wake him up. He mumbled and stirred. At least he was still alive. "Rory!"

"What?" He muttered, trying to turn over. He started to wake up when he found he couldn't move. He looked around and stared at Amy. "What's going on? Where are we?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that it has to do with that M guy Sherlock was talking about. Morty or something," she guessed, talking to cover up her worry. He nodded, looking around again. "What do we do?"

"I don't know. Maybe wait for someone to come in. We seem to be in some sort of medical facility," Rory reasoned, recognizing some of the tools on the table.

"Or a torture chamber," Amy mumbled.

"Don't say that. Stay positive," he insisted, hoping that she was wrong. She sighed, but agreed. It would get them nowhere if they were pessimistic. "We have to get out all the same. If that M man lights fires to get Sherlock's attention, I don't want to know why he needs us."

"Good point. How do we get out?" Amy asked, gesturing to the bonds and singular door. Rory shrugged as he thought for a while. She held her breath and stared at the door. "Brilliant. Do you think the Doctor is coming?"

"Probably, thinking optimistically," Rory replied as the door opened. A man carefully stepped in and grimaced.

"Who the hell are you?" Amy demanded, trying to look at her captor. He rolled his eyes and shut the door.

"Moriarty, if you must know," he answered, walking toward to them. "And I'm guessing you know why you're here?"

"Why would we know that?" Rory spat back, disgusted just looking at him.

"Because you are clever. Or at least I thought you were," Moriarty taunted and looked at Amy. "You do know, don't you?"

"I'm going out on a limb here and say that you need the Doctor to do something. What better way to lure him here by promising he safety of his companions," Amy responded, angry at Moriarty. He clapped his hands together and smiled.

"You are a clever one. Rude, but clever," he complimented as Amy rolled her eyes. Rory bit his lip to keep from barking at Moriarty to get away from her. He would have if he wasn't tied to a table and wasn't talking to the most dangerous man on the planet.

"Why are you here?" Amy wondered, staring at the criminal. Moriarty rolled his eyes again and exhaled.

"Because I'm bored. Why else would I spend time with ordinary people?" He remarked, making a strange face. Amy nearly told him that they were hardly ordinary, but she want sure how much he knew. "What? Do you not want my company?"

"To be fair, you did kidnap us," Rory reminded, glancing to Amy.

"Good point. Anyway, I'm glad you're both awake. I needed to ask you something," Moriarty mentioned, sitting in a nearby chair. "What do you know about time travel?"

"Time travel?" Amy scoffed, pretending that it was the funniest thing she had heard all day. Moriarty glared at her and sat forward.

"I know that the Doctor is a time traveler," he mentioned, silencing Amy. She could tell that they were in real danger now. "I also know that you travel with him, so don't mock me!"

"Yes sir," she whimpered, frightened of the lunatic. Moriarty combed back his hair and grinned, suddenly calm again.

"How did you know that?" Rory asked as Amy kept quiet.

"Sherlock wasn't the only one to meet the Doctor all those years back. Many people did. He helped solve the greatest crime of possibly all time with Sherlock. However, as it created the start of Sherlock's career, it also sparked hatred among those involved with the crime. And I happen to know one of those poor souls, that had seen the blue box before the Doctor went away for the first time. When I saw that Sherlock was investigating something similar, I jumped right in. Can you imagine me with a time machine? I would be king of the world forever," he whispered, smiling. Rory only stared, bewildered by the explanation. Who knew a rumor could actually turn out to be true? "Of course, I'm only telling you this because there's no possible way you could stop me. Being tied up kinda hinders the ability to save the world."

Rory gaped as Amy stopped breathing. If this didn't sound like a death threat, than nothing would be. He stood up, still grinning, when a knock came at the door. He looked toward the ceiling, frustrated.

"What do you want?!" Moriarty shouted as the clones of Amy and Rory walked in.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but the Doctor has caught on. He may have told Sherlock and Watson by now," clone Amy informed, bowing her head. Moriarty lifted her chin and smiled.

"Not to worry. I had hoped that the Doctor would catch on. It's a lot more fun that way," he replied, glancing back at the true Amy and Rory. They were both pale and horror stricken with their eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Ah, you haven't met them yet, have you? Let me introduce you. This is Isuzu, playing the part of Amy, and this is Iheist, playing the part of Rory."

"What are they?" Amy asked as Isuzu walked over to her.

"We're you," she whispered with a sweet smile.

"Are you alien?" Amy muttered, noticing that Isuzu's eye color was off. Moriarty laughed and walked behind Isuzu.

"You are definitely the clever one. Not even Sherlock would be able to guess that. He doesn't believe in such things," Moriarty mentioned and pursed his lips. Amy held her tongue once more, for she didn't want something to slip out that might get her and Rory killed. "Isuzu, take Iheist and go into the back. See if Munwox is ready." The Amy clone nodded as it took the Rory replica and walked out.

"Who's Munwox going to replace?" Amy asked, staring at the door.

"Look at you. Asking all the right questions, but I'm not going to tell you. You'll find out soon enough. Lets just say that it's someone you know," he laughed and left, locking the door tightly. Rory sighed and looked at Amy, who looked both terrified and annoyed. This concerned him since Amy wasn't scared easily. That was his job. That and to think rationally. "Anyway, I would like to know where the time machine is. And right now would be a good time to tell me."

Rory and Amy said nothing and glared at him. Moriarty smiled and laughed at their courage. He shifted his weight and looked up at them again. Something in his eyes told Rory that not only was this man insane, but he also would fight to the death for the things he wanted. Including the TARDIS. Rory, however, continued to stay silent, thinking that they were dead anyway. That's how it worked with mad men like Moriarty. If you begged for your life and told them all you knew, they'd kill you regardless. It was better to have Moriarty not know the whereabouts of the TARDIS rather than try to beg for their lives. The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few. If Moriarty got his hands on the machine, it would be a constant doomsday for the rest of eternity.

"God, you two are so boring! At least grovel, like normal people do. Jeez. What is this? Are you both suicidal?" Moriarty complained, leaning on the wall, his head facing the sky. Amy and Rory hardly moved or said a word, giving the man the silent treatment. "You know, that's real cute. I'll just come back when you two decide to grow up and have a will to live. It will be so much more fun to kill you then." The Ponds watched the villain walk out and close the door before they exhaled. They looked at each other and grimaced. They had saved the Doctor, the TARDIS, and possibly the world, but we're still stuck strapped to the tables. Amy hoped that the Doctor was coming, since Isuzu said that he had caught on, and that it was just a matter of time until he came for them. Rory wished he could hold her hand at this time, as they both were worried and scared.

~~S~~

Isuzu dragged Iheist into the back room of the compound, wondering why, out of all of her people, she had to get stuck with the most incompetent creature alive. Iheist was plainly stupid compared to the masters of her race. She was just lucky he could follow orders and act on command. That was the only thing that didn't get him caught when he was investigating with Holmes and Watson. Not that they were paying any attention to him. When they reached the section, hiding the third person to their posse, Isuzu turned to her lacking partner and looked him in the eye.

"Do you understand what we're doing?" she asked quietly, her hand on the door handle. Iheist thought for a moment, giving her a blank stare, before shaking his head. "We're releasing your older brother, Munwox. Remember now? He should be done shifting by now."

"Ah," was all that Iheist was willing to say, staying true to his stupidity. Isuzu rolled her eyes, wishing that Munwox was assigned her partner instead of Iheist. He was stronger, smarter, and plainly a better choice for a partner that planned to take over the world with her. At least she could have a conversation with him. Isuzu opened the door and peeked in, growing tired of Iheist again. The room was pitch black except for the line of light coming from the doorway. She looked around, but sighed when she couldn't find any sign of life.

"Munwox? Where are you?" she whispered, opening the door wider. A thin man came into the light and smiled. She thought he looked strange, but then again, all humans looked odd. However, something seemed unworldly about his presence, even if it was a replica. Even for a human, his fashion sense was lacking for some reason. Isuzu leaned on her hip and shook her head, staring at his neck absurdly. "What is that?"

"I think it's called a bow tie. Isn't it cool?" Munwox whispered, giving a sly smile, making Isuzu laugh under her breath. Iheist smiled too, thinking that the strange fabric at his brother's neck was indeed very cool.


	9. Chapter 9

"Where would Moriarty hide them?" The Doctor asked as he began to pace the floor. John glanced at Sherlock, hoping he had the answer.

"Doctor, you should sit down. It'll calm you down," John suggested as the Doctor turned on his heels to face him.

"You say that, but moving helps me relax. If I sit down, I'll go crazy," he muttered, giving John an angry look. Sherlock laughed and shook his head. "Sherlock, don't laugh. This isn't funny. They could die if we don't act fast."

"I know, Doctor, and I wasn't laughing at that. Anyway, other than the giant warehouse, I wouldn't know," Sherlock answered, his smile disappearing. John shook his head.

"Why didn't we follow them? They could've led us there," John suggested, catching the attention of both Sherlock and the Doctor.

"That would've been too easy. Moriarty was probably hoping that we would do that. No, it was better we did what we did," the Doctor responded, staring at the floor as he wandered around. Sherlock leaned back and went deep into thought, his hands underneath his chin. John nodded slowly, wondering if they were going to do anything.

"What does he want again?" John sighed, not getting it. Sherlock rolled his eyes over to John.

"The TARDIS. What else would he want from the Doctor? What would he gain otherwise from kidnapping the Ponds?" Sherlock cut in, making John feel smaller than he already was. He nodded and looked on his laptop again, ignoring the two men in the room. "How do we do this, Doctor?"

"I have no idea. We can't move the TARDIS yet, or even use her to track them down. She isn't powered up yet, which causes a problem," the Doctor thought out loud, pacing the room. Sherlock dipped his head down.

"What about your screwdriver? Can't it do something?" The detective offered as John looked up. He wondered what a screwdriver would do in this situation until the Doctor pulled out a cylindrical object, about the size of a normal screwdriver.

"This would take us to the impostors instead of the real Ponds," the Doctor explained, flipping it into the air.

"If we cornered them, couldn't we find out where they were from them?" John offered as Sherlock and the Doctor turned to him.

"That's actually a brilliant idea," Sherlock complimented as he smiled at John. He nodded, proud of himself, while the Doctor calibrated it to find the Ponds. Sherlock jumped up from his seat and grabbed his coat. "Let's go find Amy and Rory then."

"Let us," the Doctor replied as he rigged the sonic screwdriver to find the fake Ponds. John sighed and followed them, wondering if he was ever going to have a normal day.

John thought that they looked absolutely ridiculous when they ran down the street following a mad man with a glow stick, that was apparently beeping. He wondered if the beeping actually helped, since there was no way to tell the difference between them. They all had the same tempo, ring, volume, everything. John just hoped that something would benefit from this. They weren't even sure if it would bring them any closer to find Amy and Rory. It seemed that it was a long shot.

"Doctor, do you even know where you're going?" John asked as they passed the tenth street. The Doctor looked at him and smiled.

"I think so. Seems like I do," he laughed as he returned to following the monotonous beeps. John rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Great," he mumbled as Sherlock came onto the other side of the Doctor. The Doctor looked up and shoved both of them into the alley on thier left. "Doctor-"

"Shh!" he hissed as the alien Amy and Rory walked toward them. The Doctor waited for them to walk in front of the alleyway. Once they were within reach, the Doctor pulled them both down to the ground as John pulled a gun out on them.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise," the amy clone Isuzu smiled as she laid on the floor, her arms above her head in surrender. Rory, or Iheist, mimicked her, clearly frightened. The Doctor glanced at John, uncomfortable iwth the idea of using a gun, but knew that Amy and Rory were in trouble and that he was willing to let it slide this once.

"Where is Amy and Rory?" Sherlock demanded, walking behind John and looked down at their captives. Isuzu smiled cunningly, hardly afraid of them.

"Why would she tell you, Sherlly?" a familiar voice sounded behind them. The Doctor closed his eyes and bit his lip. John looked up and nearly dropped his gun. The voice belonged to Munwox, the spitting image of the Doctor.

"How did you get my form?" the Doctor asked, walking up to Munwox, who gave a sly smile.

"Easy. I saw you when Moriarty first kidnapped you. Honestly, it's simpler than your human can imagine," Munwox mocked, making Sherlock laugh. "What are you laughing at?"

"You are so stupid! I would have thought you would be able to differentiate between species at least, but you are no smarter than half of these pathetic humans on this planet!" Sherlock laughed, walking up to Munwox. The alien seemed to be caught off guard and took a step back.

"I'm stupid? Pesky human! What did I miss?" the imposter demanded, looking at the Doctor, who was smiling.

"I am no mere human... what's your name?" the Doctor asked, killing the moment. John rubbed his cheek and sighed.

"Munwox."

"Munwox? What kind of name is that?" the Doctor demanded, surprised at such a strange name. Munwox glared at the time lord, growing tired of his attitude.

"Doctor," Sherlock warned, thinking that he was drifting from the subject.

"Right. Munwox, I am not mere human. Have you heard the legend of the time lords, Munnie?" the Doctor asked as the clone shook his head. "Well, they're a very interesting race. They travel through time and space to save planets and preserve the universe. However, only one survived, Munwox. Now he saves planets and loses people from time to time. Some call him the Madman with a Box. Others the Oncoming Storm. However, his friends usually call him the Doctor."

"The Doctor?" Munwox muttered, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes, Munnie. Do you know who I am, now?"

"Dear Aklesfah, that's you? The last of the time lords?" Munwox panicked and started to sweat. The Doctor smiled and walked around him.

"That's right. I am no legend, Munwox. Now, go tell Moriarty my story. I want him to understand what he's dealing with and he has exactly twelve hours to release my friends before I came and got them!" the Doctor warned as Munwox walked back up and retreated, leaving his companions on the ground.

"Munwox?! You get your arse back here right now!" Isuzu demanded, truly frightened of what was going to happen without him. Despite her pleas for him to stay, Munwox dashed back onto the street, shaken up. Iheist sighed and left his head on the ground. She looked into the barrel of the gun and started to tear up. "Please don't shoot me."

"Where are the Ponds?" Sherlock inquired, ignoring her requests as she started to cry. Iheist sighed and looked up at him.

"Down the street in the abandoned hotel. It isn't far from here," he answered as Isuzu elbowed his ribs, making him start to cough in pain.

"Idiot!" she hissed as John took his gun away from her face.

"Get up. Take us there. Now," John instructed as they got up. He placed the gun back in his pocket as they left the alleyway. Isuzu punched Iheist again in the arm before they reentered the crowds. The Doctor walked over to John.

"John, after this, I don't want to see that weapon again," he informed, raising his eyebrows. John laughed and looked at him.

"Doctor, I understand that you may be uncomfortable, but I'll bring it out if the time calls for it. However, I'll try not to let you see it," John smiled, keeping his voice down. The Doctor grinned back and clapped his shoulder. At least he didn't have to see it.

"Thank you, John," he whispered as they rejoined Sherlock and the imposters. Isuzu wiped her eyes, scared of what Moriarty is going to do to them for getting caugtht. John approached Sherlock as they made it down the path.

"John, are you sure this is a good idea?" Sherlock asked as he came near. He shrugged, tired of sitting around and waiting like a sitting duck.

"We'll find out, won't we? We've confronted him before, so we know how to deal with him. Besides, we are just getting Amy and Rory back. We can deal with the consulting criminal later," John replied as Sherlock nodded, pursing his lips. Soon, Isuzu and Iheist led the trio to the abandoned hotel and stood by the door. The couple waited by the door, waiting for them to go inside.

"Why don't you go in?" the Doctor suggested as Isuzu rolled her eyes.

"I thought we were only supposed to bring you here," she retorted, folding her arms.

"You will show us to where the real Amy and Rory are before we blow your brains out. Now open that door," John instructed, patting his pocket. Isuzu panicked and unlocked the door. They showed them into the lobby and went to the elevator. Sherlock hesitated to get into the lift, reminding them that this was an abandoned building.

"Do you honestly think that Moriarty wants to climb up those stairs?" Isuzu remarked as Sherlock entered the death trap. Iheist pushed the button to raise the box to the desired floor as the doors slowly closed. The Doctor had no idea that something could be this awkward. Usually he caused the wierdness, but this time was different. He glanced at John, who also seemed just as uncomfortable. Sherlock was probably the only one unaffected by the situation.

Soon they stepped off the elevator onto the fourth floor in tact, which was more than Sherlock had expected. Isuzu looked over to Iheist, who had a stupidly blank look on his face. She wished that Munwox was still here and save her from this. She had no idea that he was scared so easily. Especially from a nearly extinct creature. What was so special about the Madman with a Box? The Oncoming Storm? What exactly had he heard about this man that made him skip out on her? Regardless, she showed the crazy men to a strange room. It seemed to be dead locked from the outside and had a steel door. Isuzu brought out her keys and slowly unlocked the doors.

"There you go," Isuzu whispered before going in herself. The Doctor looked at Sherlock and John before shoving Iheist in after her and going in themselves. The Doctor gaped at the sight he saw before him.


	10. Chapter 10

Amy and Rory were strapped to tables, their faces bruised and bloodied with their white stained with blood gowns. The Doctor ran over to them as Isuzu and Iheist stood by the doorway with Sherlock. John ran up with the Doctor to check their vital signs. The time lord walked up to Amy and caressed her cheek, feeling her faint heart beat steadily. Her eyes fluttered open as she smiled.

"I knew you would come, Raggedy Man," she whispered as one of her eyes opened. The other was swollen shut and black. The Doctor offered a soft smile and kissed he forehead.

"What happened?" He whispered into her ear. Amy smiled up at him and sighed.

"Moriarty wants the TARDIS and to know where it is. We didn't tell him," she chuckled as a tear came down her cheek. The Doctor held her hand and nodded.

"Thank you. You have saved the human race," he murmured as Rory began to wake up to.

"Doctor? Is that you?" He mumbled as John clasped his shoulder. Rory shook his head and smiled, his entire face bruised and puffy.

"You're going to be fine, Rory. You'll live," John informed as Sherlock walked up to the Doctor. He turned him away from Amy as John checked on her.

"What now? We can't let him get away with this " Sherlock hissed, upset that Moriarty brought them into their fight. The Doctor nodded before shaking his head.

"He won't, but we aren't prepared for an assault. We came for Amy and Rory. We need to regroup and settle this separately," he replied, wanting Moriarty to suffer in the way the Ponds had. Sherlock glanced back at them and sighed, feeling the Doctor's anguish. Isuzu and Iheist shifted uncomfortably by the door, as if they were waiting for someone to come and save them. However, Isuzu was hoping that Munwox would come and redeem himself, but it seemed highly unlikely. Moriarty had a better chance of showing up than Munwox. She sighed inwardly, wishing that her hero had kept it together. Once Amy fell back asleep and Rory talked to John, the Doctor glanced over at the aliens. "Oi! You lot! What are you standing there for?"

"What do you mean?" Isuzu asked, genuinely confused. She was just standing there with her arms crossed, staying far away from the Ponds. She had already seen what the Doctor was capable with through Munwox, and that was just storytelling. She didn't want to get caught up between him and his companions.

"I mean you're making me nervous standing by that door. Who are you waiting for?" the Doctor clarified, storming up to Isuzu, who froze in fright. I heist turned toward him and smiled.

"We're waiting for backup, sir," he replied politely, a hint of fear in his voice. The Doctor glanced at Sherlock before turning to Iheist.

"Backup?"

"Yes. I expect Mr. Moriarty to be here shortly since you scared the pants off of our Munwox. I'm sure that he would like to meet you civilly," Iheist explained with a short bow. Isuzu glanced between the men, wondering why he was being so polite to the enemy.

"Um, I see," the Doctor whispered as he looked at the detective, silently telling him to ask John if they could move the Ponds. "So you're just patiently waiting by the door when they break it down?"

"Well, no. That's why we're waiting by the door to steer clear of the bullets."

"Iheist!" Isuzu hissed, frightened of his behavior. He gave a small smile toward her, and proceeded to ignore her. The Doctor nodded as John unstrapped Amy and Rory from the tables and gently patted them awake.

"Why would he want to meet me?" the Doctor asked, trying to buy more time for Sherlock and John. Iheist shrugged.

"You are a new race of alien, one that is one of a kind. You're interesting, and you could be just as smart, if not smarter than, he is. If he could gain your alliance, there would be a glorious time that the earth has never seen before," Ihesit announced, looking toward the ceiling with his balled fist raised. The Doctor nodded, not understanding one bit.

"Why would he think that I would join him? He just kidnapped and copied, no offense, my best friends. That's not a good impression for a future ally," the Doctor insisted as John was able to help Amy and Rory hobble into a corner, in case of a storm of bullets.

"I'm sure he'll give you a choice, but the alternative might be the execution of you and your friends," Iheist explained plainly, feeling a little sympathy for the Doctor.

"Execution?! I didn't even know that was in your vocabulary!" Isuzu exclaimed, absolutely shocked. Iheist turned to her with a glare, frightening her further.

"I so tired of you. I tried to stoop down to your level of intelligence to better understand you for this mission. I had no idea that this plan would go down in flames. Shut your mouth until Moriarty gets back," Iheist commanded as Isuzu shrunk. Her level of intelligence? He was imitating her? He was pretending to act stupid, dull, and idiotic because he was mimicking her? Her eyes began to tear up, having no idea that he was doing such a thing. Noticing her crisis and confusion, Iheist rolled his eyes and began to explain himself. "You think you're so smart and clever, yet you never act or think on your own. You follow others mindlessly and nearly believe everything you're told. Never do anything productive unless it suits you to do it. It was only when our planet was destroyed that you cared about anything! Even still, you don't care about the big picture. All you know is that we're getting a new place to live with new forms. It's like clothes shopping for you! You don't care about doing the hard work and I know you'll avoid it once the time comes. Now go sit in the corner like a good little girl."

"Uh...," she whispered, shocked, offended, surprised, and angry. Without knowing what else to do, she did as she was told and began to cry in the corner. Iheist turned back to the Doctor and gave a pleasant smile.

"Anyway, I hope you make your choice wisely. And I apologize for my colleague. She can be quite...unpleasant at times. I hope you forgive me," he grinned as the Doctor gaped, hardly believing the scene in front of him. Even Sherlock and John were gaping behind him.

"Me forgive you? Shouldn't you be more worried about if your partner is going to forgive you?"

"She's an idiot. She'll probably forget in a few days anyway. Why should I want her forgiveness anyway? All she's given me is a headache," Iheist sighed, rubbing his forehead. The Doctor was, for once, completely speechless and couldn't think of a word to say. In the silence, Iheist checked his pocket watch and exhaled. "Seems like he isn't coming, Doctor. If he hasn't come by now, he probably won't. Now, if you'll excuse me and my partner, we'll leave. Of course, if you aren't keeping us hostage."

"N-no, you're fine to leave," the Doctor muttered as Iheist pulled Isuzu off the ground and scolded her before they left through the door. As the door shut, the Doctor looked over at his friends, who were just flabbergasted.

"Well, that was exciting..." John whispered as he looked at Amy and Rory. "However, they should be alright to move as long as we move them carefully and call an ambulance."

"I wouldn't say that it's safe for us to move them, then," the Doctor replied, seeing them slumped together like a pair of rag dolls. John rolled his eyes as Sherlock agreed.

"What I meant was that they aren't so injured that we can't move them down a floor or two. I wasn't planning on bringing them to the flat!" John exclaimed in defense. Sherlock shook his head and sighed.

"Then I say that you call the paramedics and Doctor and I will make sure that Amy and Rory are alright," he concluded, ushering John into the hallway. He groaned, but went with it, since he was probably the best choice. Sherlock wouldn't do it if he was there and he wondered if the Doctor could even use a phone.

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," John mumbled as he closed the door behind him. Sherlock turned his head to the time lord, hoping he had a plan.

"So what are you going to do?" the detective muttered, shoving his hands in his coat pockets.

"What?"

"About Moriarty? Something's got to be done if you want the earth, Amy, Rory, and you to come out alive. What are you going to do?" Sherlock repeated as the Doctor frowned. He had no idea, but he knew he was going to do something. Whether it was a stupid idea or not, he wasn't sure. Slowly he smiled and laughed under his breath.

"I have no idea. Isn't that terrifying?" he asked as Sherlock smiled back. Something in the Doctor's voice sounded dark and dangerous, just what they need to fight Moriarty with.

"Sounds brilliant," Sherlock answered as John came back in.

"They should be here in a few minutes. However, they're also calling in Lestrade," he sighed, looking at Sherlock. He stared at John, hoping his face would explain the situation.

"Why would he come?" Sherlock implored as John's face told him nothing.

"I just called about two injured people in an abandoned hotel. There are trespassing laws, Sherlock. I think we may have broke one or two, even if it was we were on Moriarty's trail. They're going to tell us that we should have let the police handle it," John replied, crossing his arms across his chest. The Doctor pursed his lips, wishing that he had the TARDIS so they could just appear in the hospital. They wouldn't have to deal with the government then.

"Lovely. Media," Sherlock whispered, thinking of the noise they were going to make.

"Media?" the Doctor repeated, confused.

"Sherlock has gained internet fame that has swept the nations and some other European nations. Aren't you known in America, too?" John informed, asking Sherlock about him. Sherlock, however, stared ahead, slightly irritated.

"I guess so," he replied softly.

"Anyway, the media has been attacking us for a while," John summed up, noticing that Sherlock did not want to talk about the subject. The Doctor nodded, trying to hide his surprise. Sherlock did not seem like the person who would earn that kind of attention. He was self-centered and arrogant. Then again, why wouldn't the media target him?

"I see," he whispered as Sherlock stood by the barred window.

"The ambulance and police are here. Shall we go say hi?" Sherlock smiled as he brushed past John and the Doctor. John shooed the Doctor to go with Sherlock, mostly to make sure that he didn't get into too much trouble, as he promised to take good care of the Ponds.


	11. Chapter 11

Sherlock seemed surprised that John wasn't coming along as he always did. However, he was glad that the Doctor decided to come with him. He needed somebody to impress other than the paramedics and police officers. Once they left the building, the paramedics came in with two gurneys for the Ponds. Sherlock strolled up to Lestrade, who was shocked at the scene.

"Can you tell me what happened, Sherlock?" The inspector grumbled as he leaned against the car.

"I always can, Lestrade," Sherlock smiled as he looked at the building. "Amy and Rory Williams were kidnapped again by Moriarty. They were tortured to give my location, since he has been hunting me for months. However, we received a lead that led us here. We found the Williams on the fourth floor in a heavily locked room. We found each of them strapped to a table and horribly bruised and unconscious. Amy woke up first, responding to the Doctor. John checked their vital signs before moving them into a corner. Our leads had escaped and I wouldn't be surprised if they went to go talk to Moriarty about it. We didn't want the Williams behind the gunfire if they ambushed us."

"What does Moriarty want with you? I thought you solved this," Lestrade reminded as the Doctor listened in. He was impressed how smoothly Sherlock was able to lie and deceive.

"When I find him, I'll ask. I usually have a vague idea of what he plans to do, but he's much too psychotic to figure out rationally," Sherlock remarked, rather annoyed. "If I knew what he wanted, I would be after him already. Since I don't, I must wait."

"Fair enough," Lestrade sighed as he turned to the Doctor. "Who are you again?"

"Doctor John Smith. We met the other day, um, at the laboratories," the Doctor replied nervously, rubbing his hands together. Lestrade sighed and nodded.

"I see. Anyway, do you know what the kidnappers looked like, either of you?" the inspector continued as Sherlock rolled his eyes.

"We do not need your help to find them," he remarked as Lestrade stood up from leaning against the car.

"Don't give me that. I still need to do my job, and you aren't helping," the inspector replied, giving a pointed look at Sherlock. The Doctor shook his head and stepped between the two other men.

"We'd be more than willing to let you help us," the Doctor intervened, pleasing Lestrade. Sherlock, on the other hand, grew very irritated. He didn't say anything as the Ponds were wheeled into the ambulance. John made sure that the couple was okay before joining the Doctor and Sherlock. "Where are they going? Which hospital?"

"The closet one. Just a kilometer south from here. They'll be fine," John answered as Lestrade was called away by one of his officers. "So did you talk to him?"

"Yes. He wants us to tell them what the kidnappers looked like," Sherlock answered, irritated at the Doctor. John sighed and shook his head.

"Did you tell him?" He whispered, doubting the idea.

"No, but-" Sherlock began.

"I told him that we would be cooperative," the Doctor interjected, hardly wanting any miscommunication. John pursed his lips.

"How are you going to explain that the kidnappers look just like Amy and Rory?" He questioned the Doctor.

"There are three billion combinations of DNA. There is a slim chance that it would naturally possible. It's only improbable," Sherlock added, backing up the Doctor, who smiled at him.

"That's all fine and dandy, but what if Lestrade doesn't believe you. Even if it isn't impossible, the probability of that happening is less than one percent," John reminded, hoping that wheel ok remembered that not everyone was as clever as he was. Sherlock only nodded, thinking that it was still a valid reason.

"Well, I'm going to check on the Ponds at the hospital. I'm sure you two can handle this without me for a while," the Doctor announced, flagging down a cabby. John nodded and turned to Sherlock.

"How's he going to pay for that?" He asked his friend. Sherlock smiled and walked past him.

"Check your pockets," he suggested. John went for his wallet, but found an IOU note left by the Doctor. He rolled his eyes and shoved the paper in his pocket before following Sherlock.

"That man may be more impossible than you are, Sherlock," he mumbled as Sherlock laughed, thinking the same thing.

The Doctor sighed to himself as he watched the town fly by. The cab was silent as he wondered if everyone was always unsocial in this universe, or if it was just humans in general. Regardless, the car ride was awkward and the Doctor just hoped he was going to the right hospital. He decided to be patient and hope for the best, wishing that his TARDIS was operational. He could have just taken them back there instead of letting these earth doctors attempt to help his family. Soon, the cab stopped in front of a large, white building that told him that he was here. The Doctor paid the taxi driver, with a rather large tip, before he went in. He walked up to the receptionist.

"Hello," the Doctor greeted, catching her attention. She smiled and looked up at him.

"Hello. How may I help you?" She asked.

"I'm looking for my friends. They were driven here in an ambulance a few minutes ago," he answered as her smile disappeared and was replaced with a grimace.

"You can't see them yet. You're welcome to wait in the waiting room while they're treated," the receptionist informed, pointing down a long corridor. The Doctor smile an nodded before he started down the way. Once he was out of sight, he slipped into the authorized personal area and put on a white lab coat hear the door. He swapped the ID of the owner of the coat with his psychic paper as he entered the emergency. He walked past the rooms, glancing in each to find the Ponds. He was surprised with how many people had been checked into the hospital. He knew they were big for a reason, but he never truly knew the size.

"Doctor!" Amy whispered, half asleep when he poked his head in. He checked the room to make sure it was clear before he came in. She smiled as he held her cheek. Her injuries seemed to be healing normally, which was a good sign.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" the Doctor asked softly as Amy managed a shrug.

"Much better," she smiled as he kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you came when you did. Can you get me out of here?"

"Not yet. The medical staff want to get a look at you before you leave. Besides, I haven't found Rory yet," he smiled as she shook her head. "We'll get you out soon. Sherlock and John should be back at the flat by now."

"You sent them back alone? Aren't you worried that Moriarty will get them?" Amy replied, sitting up before the Doctor pushed her gently back down as he shook his head.

"If Moriarty wanted them dead, he would have killed them a long time ago. They should be fine for now, but you need some rest. I'll go find Rory and I'll come back for you in the morning," he promised, kissing the top of her head again. Amy sighed and stared at the ceiling.

"Better not keep me waiting, Raggedy Man," she smiled, glancing over at the Doctor. He laughed under his breath before he left the room and went back where he came. Why did he need to go look for Rory? If Amy was fine, why shouldn't rory be? Besides, it was always awkward when he talked to him. Rory always seemed a bit resentful of the Doctor, which wasn't the normal feeling the Doctor received from his companions.

The Doctor snuck back out into the hallway, replacing the coat on the rack and taking back his psychic paper. Now he had to figure out what to do. He wasn't ready to leave the Ponds in an unknown universe that had a murderous psychopath in it. Nothing was safe here. He sat in the waiting room, mostly to think about his options. He could go back to the flat and wait there, or he could wait here, but both were mind-numbingly boring. He checked his watch as he stressed himself out.

"Are you waiting for somebody?" a sweet voice asked behind him. The Doctor spun around and found a polite nurse with a pleasant smile.

"Um, no, not really. Just waiting for someone to get better," he smiled as she sighed.

"Well, the visiting hours are almost up, so I have to ask you to leave. You can come back tomorrow morning," she informed, turning the Doctor toward the exit. He nodded and walked out of the building, hoping that the Ponds would be safe. He turned to look back at the hospital once before leaving to find 221b Baker Street.

The Doctor knocked on the door twice, checking his watch again. It had taken him an hour and a half to find the flat again, which shouldn't have taken as long. If John kept more money in his wallet, the Doctor would have had enough to take the cab back. Instead, he walked and now was waiting on the doorstep. Soon, John opened the door and smiled with his hand stretched out.

"Give me back my wallet," he demanded as the Doctor placed the leather pouch back in his hand. John smiled and allowed the Doctor to come in. "Next time, just ask to borrow some cab money. It's not like we're starving or anything."

"I would have, but there wasn't much time. I saw a cab and I needed to make sure that the hospital was secure," the Doctor answered, excusing himself from the circumstances. John shook his head as he closed the door.

"Only you would say that. Sherlock's upstairs, contemplating what Moriarty has planned. I put on the kettle if you're interested in some tea," John added, following the Doctor up the stairs. As Watson had said, Sherlock was sitting in the living room with his hands templed beneath his chin. The Doctor sat in front of the consulting detective, trying to catch his attention. John walked back into the kitchen, wondering if he was ever going to have a normal day again. Soon, Sherlock opened his eyes and sighed.

"Hello, Doctor."

"Hey, Sherlly. What did you tell Lestrade about the aliens?" the Doctor asked with a smile. Sherlock shrugged and looked out the window.

"Told him exactly what I told you what I was going to say. Doppelgangers. We've definitely seen stranger," Sherlock answered, returning the grin. The Doctor laughed and shook his head. "How were the Ponds?"

"Fine. I think they'll make it. What about Moriarty, though? Do you know what he's been up to?" the Doctor continued, not wanting to get on the topic of Amy and Rory. He had left them in a place that could be unsafe for a number of reasons. Sherlock leaned back and shrugged.

"I won't know for sure until he makes another move. I'm hoping he'll text me," Sherlock answered, glancing at his phone on the side table. The Doctor rubbed his brow.

"He's going to text you his plan?"

"Of course not. He's going to taunt me, and from there I can start to piece it together," Sherlock countered with a smirk.

"You're brilliant," the Doctor laughed as Sherlock dipped his head slightly forward.

"Thank you, Doctor," the detective replied as the phone began to vibrate on the table.


	12. Chapter 12

"Is it him?" the Doctor asked as Sherlock began to type away on his little phone. Sherlock said nothing as John came back in with a cup of tea.

"Him who?" John asked tentatively before trying the earl grey. Sherlock glanced up at him and sighed. After all this time, he was still surprised that John still wasn't able to deduce as cleverly as Sherlock had hoped.

"Moriarty," the Doctor answered as Sherlock replaced the phone on the table. John sighed and rubbed his face.

"Really? Again? What exactly does he want this time? Isn't he after the Doctor, anyway? Why the hell is he texting you?" John demanded, his hand covering his eyes. Sherlock leaned back in his seat and slid the phone across the side table to John. He retrieved the device and opened the messages. "What? Is this really his goal?"

"What is it?" the Doctor asked, curious as ever. John glanced at Sherlock, thinking that he should tell the time lord.

"Moriarty is furious with our actions, to say the least. As you can see, there is some very colorful language within that message. Also, he asks that we meet him somewhere discreet to talk about his demands. It seems he wants us to surrender," Sherlock sighed, sitting back Doctor shook his head, not understanding most of what he was saying.

"But we're not surrendering, right?" the Doctor clarified.

"Most likely not. Why would we? What does Moriarty have to offer that would make us give up ourselves? This doesn't seem like him at all, actually," Sherlock thought, his eyes widening slightly. The Doctor bit his lip as he figured out what Sherlock was thinking.

"You don't think..." the Doctor whispered as John set his tea cup on the side table along with the phone. Sherlock closed his eyes in response, which sent the Doctor's head flying to his palms in concern.

"What? You don't think what?" John wondered out loud, wanting to know what was going on. Sherlock held his breath to keep from rolling his eyes. He thought to would have been obvious to John by now, since he did frequently go on cases with him.

"Moriarty isn't Moriarty. He's been copied, so to speak, much like Amy, Rory, and I were. I think they're hiding him somewhere to keep him from getting into trouble. What would be a better plan than to take over the world with a man that is a master criminal and known for destruction and death?" The Doctor answered as Sherlock nodded, rather proud of the time lord. John pursed his lips, not thinking of that possibility.

"What about the fact that Moriarty promised them something?" John asked in return.

"Moriarty could have made that promise in the beginning, probably out of fun. He probably thought that he could outsmart the mastermind of the aliens. Use them to his advantage instead of them using him. However, I think those invaders knew exactly what Moriarty was planning and decided to use his image as well," Sherlock added, templing his hands beneath his chin again. John just stared, trying to wrap his head around the explanation. Sherlock was always a rational man and never took superstition into account. It was strange now to have Sherlock talk about aliens of a matter of fact instead of myths and legends, which John had believed them to be. He wasn't even sure if the Doctor truly was a being from another world.

"What do we do then? It's not like we can just waltz up to the door and ask Moriarty if he's human or not. If he isn't, he'd probably kill us. If he is, then he might still kill us," John pointed out, leaning on his knee. Sherlock couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Of course not. We have to prove it first and find some sort of bargaining chip. I'm not saying it will be easy, but it may be our only choice if we want to stop this force from consuming the earth," the Doctor chimed in as John turned to him. John was astounded by the fact that the Doctor was able to function on the same frequency as Sherlock and not be a complete jerk all the time.

"Then what are we waiting for?" John demanded, growing frustrated.

"Amy and Rory. I'll get them from the hospital tomorrow and bring them back here safely. I don't want to be threatening someone while they aren't by my side. They could be sitting ducks and bargaining chips for the other side," the Doctor answered, a little offended that John had thought of leaving the Ponds on the hospital as they faced the threat. John leaned against the back of the chair and shook his head.

"Fine, but we need to figure this out. We don't have much time before those creatures take over the planet," John replied, a hint of snark in his voice.

"They can't take over the planet without a means of transportation, which is why the want the TARDIS so badly," Sherlock deduced.

"I think you guys are forgetting that the fact that they came here first, before the Doctor. Since he's from a different dimension, or whatever, they wouldn't have known that he would be here with his machine. They would have an original plan, one that didn't involve a TARDIS," John countered as Sherlock snapped open his eyes.

"Brilliant, John," Sherlock smiled as the Doctor began to panic.

"Why didn't we realize that before? God, stupid stupid STUPID!" the time lord exclaimed, hitting himself on the head multiple times. John sat back, confused by the different reactions he received. He was expecting to get more of an argument or a dirty look. "How would they have gotten all of those creatures here? Is there any sort of space program or research or private investment to get to the moon or mars?"

"No, nothing that I've heard of. Nothing that could go that far into space and back," John whispered, still shell shocked. Sherlock stood up.

"What of they weren't thinking of a transport, but a beacon, perchance? A transport would be quicker, but they are only conscious beings. They don't have a body that can die, so they would be able to travel through space without a problem. If these four aliens are scouts, then they would need some sort of way to show the rest of them the way," Sherlock deduced, starting to pace the room. The Doctor watched him as he racked his brain for information.

"Why don't you ask Mycroft? He should know some things about that," John suggested as Sherlock sent a dirty look his way.

"I am not asking my brother," Sherlock decided, loathing the idea that he needed his older brother's help.

"Sherlock-" the Doctor began to plead.

"Absolutely not. I will not ask him for help," Sherlock finalized, glaring at the time lord. The Doctor remained quiet and glanced over at John, hoping that John knew it that it was a good idea. John leaned back in his chair and finished off his tea.

"What do you suggest we do? You won't go to Lestrade. You won't go to Mycroft. Who else do we know that you won't go to?" John retorted, tilting his head to the side. Sherlock ignored his comment as he went into the other room. "God, he can be so stubborn sometimes. Why does he have to be so stubborn?"

"Because he's Sherlock Holmes," the Doctor smiled. John turned to him, curious.

"Didn't you say the other day that we were fictional characters in your universe?" he asked bluntly. The Doctor nodded once, avoiding eye contact. "Does he act this way there, too? All pig headed and stubborn?"

"Yes, most of the stories do."

"Most? Do you mean there's more than one tale about us?"

"Yes, but there is one written account, by Arthur Conan Doyle, that everything else is based off of. However, they usually stick to the novels for the most part. There are movie adaptations, TV shows, short stories, you name it. It's grown so popular, the name Sherlock has become a trademark," the Doctor smiled, thinking of his home universe again.

"What about me? Am I well-known?"

"Of course! You are his companion! The one he never leaves behind. However, there are some accounts of you leaving him," the Doctor admitted, shocking John.

"Why would I do that? He's my best friend."

"You met a woman. Of course, I've only seen it in one movie. It doesn't mean that you leave him here," the Doctor smiled, shaking his head. John leaned back in thought, astonished.

"How can we be fictional in a different universe? How exactly does that work?" John demanded, wanting an explanation. He still couldn't tell if this man was genuine or just a fraud who liked to stir up trouble. The Doctor bit his lip.

"Honestly, I have no idea. Have you ever met named Arthur that didn't really fit in with society?" The Doctor asked, looking at John. He shrugged, trying to think of an occurrence.

"No, I don't think so. What do you mean by _didn't fit in society_?"

"Someone who was awed by the simplest of things, like cars, planes, skyscrapers, clothes, et cetera. I was wondering if he might have fallen into this universe somehow on his own. If he saw you and Sherlock, that could have inspired the stories," the Doctor explained, confusing John further.

"Do you not have those things where you come from?"

"Of course we do. In Doyle's time, however, the car has just been invented. He lived in the late nineteenth century and into the twentieth century," the Doctor continued as John nodded. He had learned just to accept the facts as they came.

"No, I have not met a nineteenth century man by the name of Arthur Donan Coyle," John answered firmly.

"Conan Doyle."

"Whatever. I've never heard of the name in my life, or at least of what I recall," John continued, irritated with the conversation. The Doctor only nodded and sat back in a chair. "What are we going to do about the aliens, though?"

"I have no idea, but that's usually when I succeed. No ideas, plans, or any things of the sort," the Doctor answered, smiling to himself. John shook his head and sighed, thinking that this man was going to get everyone seriously injured if not killed. "Let's get started."


	13. Chapter 13

The next day, the Doctor left early in the morning to go retrieve the Ponds from the hospital. He made sure that neither Sherlock nor John knew he was gone so they didn't come with him. He wanted to talk to Amy and Rory alone about the circumstances. He walked in through the main door and found an elder lady working at the desk. She looked up above her moon-shaped spectacles at the Doctor. She seemed wary of him, coming in so early.

"What can I do for you?" she whispered politely in a slightly shaky voice. The Doctor smiled and stood against the counter.

"When are the visiting hours? I have two family members here and would like to visit them," he answered as she looked down at her schedule. He pursed his lips as she searched for the information.

"Look's like six am to eight pm," the receptionist replied with a calm smile. He glanced at the clock, which read quarter to six. Sighing, he thanked her as he went to the hallway. The receptionist watched him leave, but allowed him to continue. There were only fifteen minutes until visiting hours, and the Doctor seemed like a nice man.

As the Doctor passed through the corridors toward Amy and Rory, he noticed how few employees there were this early in the morning. However, he chose to ignore it and went to find the Ponds. He entered the Amy's room as she looked over to him, her eyes slightly red and tired as she smiled.

"About time you got here," she murmured, exhausted. The Doctor sat next to her and chuckled.

"Didn't you get any sleep last night?" he asked, touching her cheek for fever. She shook her head slowly.

"Who can sleep in a hospital?" Amy asked, sitting up. "Are you here to get us out of here?"

"Yes, I am. I think you should be okay. You're not on life support and they've already stitched your wounds. Come on. Let's go find Rory," he declared as she shook her head, surprising him.

"First I'm going to change into some normal clothes," Amy decided, eying the Doctor.

"Where are you going to get those?" he inquired, fighting the urge to rub his face out of frustration. She rolled her eyes.

"Good point. Let's go get Rory. Then I'm going shopping!" Amy answered, standing from the bed. The Doctor bit his lip and followed Amy out the door. They went down the hallway a few doors to find a medical doctor talking to Rory in his room.

"I'm sure we have something available for you," the medical doctor replied, crossing his arms. His voice seemed unsure, almost confused. Amy hid outside the room as the Doctor came in. "Hello there. Are you a friend of Mr. Williams?"

"Yes he is," Rory replied, sitting up in his bed before shaking the medical doctor's hand. "And I will go ask about the job opening once I'm fit to leave."

"I see no reason to keep you here," the medical doctor smiled, dipping his head before he left. The Doctor walked over to Rory, flabbergasted.

"Job opening?" the Doctor demanded as Amy snuck into the room.

"You told us that we would be staying here for one or two weeks. We can't leave the bill with Sherlock and John. That's rude, and you have no money. The next option is for me to get a paying job so we can pay the rent," Rory answered, confused by the Doctor's concern. The time lord pursed his lips, thinking that this was extremely risky. "Are we going then?"

"What? Yes, yes, we are. We should get back soon so Sherlock and John aren't worried about where I am," the Doctor added, spinning toward the exit and leaving. Amy gave a half smile toward Rory as he grabbed her hand and followed.

With the help of his sonic screwdriver, the Doctor opened a fire escape door without the alarm to avoid the medical bills. Amy and Rory followed him into the parking lot, a bit concerned about what they were doing. However, there wasn't any way to track them down, since they had no ID's or personal information that was given to the hospital. They walked out of the parking lot and back to the street as Amy caught up with the Doctor.

"So why did you come get us so early?" she asked, curious and still tired. The Doctor smiled and shook his head.

"I don't trust this universe. Not one bit. Since we've arrived, we've been nearly arrested, kidnapped, assaulted, stalked, and attacked. And it's only been a few days. Once the TARDIS reboots, we're getting ourselves out of here as soon as possible," the Doctor informed as Rory spoke up.

"What about Sherlock and John? Their entire planet is about to be taken over by those... aliens! We can't just skip out on them," Rory argued as the Doctor turned on his heel to face him. He looked concerned, stressed, and tired, which was a never a good sign. Rory stood his ground as the time lord examined him.

"And why is that? We aren't even supposed to be here! If we weren't here, they planet would be gone, so why should _we_ try to save it? It's none of our business," the Doctor countered, yelling at him. Rory shook his head slowly.

"It is our business. They are our friends, to say the least. When we had nowhere to go, they let us in their home. We cannot just sit here and watch them die," Amy added, joining Rory's side. The Doctor turned back around angrily, thinking that the Ponds had their heads in the clouds. He was supposed to protect them, no matter what happened. No matter the cost.

"What are we supposed to do? So far, we've just been a target, which has affected Sherlock and John immensely. If we left, they would be left alone," the Doctor reasoned, walking ahead. The Ponds ran up behind him.

"No they wouldn't. Remember the first day we were here? That fiery message in the street? Sherlock and John would be in danger anyway," Amy added as the Doctor sighed and rubbed his face. They didn't know.

"We think that Moriarty has been overtaken by the aliens. He originally made a deal with them, but Sherlock, John, and I think that they were too much for him to handle and they turned on him," the Doctor answered as the companions gaped. They hadn't thought of that possibility, even though it seemed almost obvious. It explained why 'Moriarty' was helping them take over the earth.

"That makes sense," Rory mumbled, unsure what else to say.

"What are the aliens called?" Amy questioned, her eyebrows raised.

"What?" the Doctor asked.

"The alien race. They must have a name, right? What are they called?" Amy clarified, folding her arms. The Doctor nodded slowly, thinking intently.

"I have no idea. Actually, I remembering a similar race back in our own universe. That was about twenty years ago, if I'm correct. Hmm... what were they called..." he thought as Rory looked at Amy, impressed. She grinned, liking the attention. "Aha! They were called the Gelth!"

"Gelth?" Amy asked after jumping at his shout.

"The Gelth were an alien race that were affected by the Time War. Their planet and bodies destroyed and they were able to inhabit the dead. I wonder if this is the same race..." the Doctor wondered as he started walking again. "I need to get back to the TARDIS. Now. We have to make sure they are the same."

"What if they're not?" Rory implored darkly. The Doctor stopped again and looked at him.

"Then we might be in a heap of trouble," he answered, dashing back to 221b Baker Street. Amy and Rory followed, but lagged behind, still slightly drugged and sleepy.

Soon, they made it back and made it up the stairs just as John came down. He looked around and found Amy and Rory on the couch sitting across from the Doctor on the chair. John sighed and said nothing, not wanting to know what happened or why. Somehow, he knew the Doctor didn't get them out legally. Sherlock came down a moment or two later, surprised.

"When did you two get here?" Sherlock asked Amy and Rory. Amy pointed at the Doctor and shrugged.

"I got there early and brought them back," the Doctor answered, deep in thought.

"Good. Anyway, I've come up with a plan to get Moriarty to show himself," Sherlock announced, catching John's attention from the kitchen.

"You have?" John asked, nearly spilling his coffee. Sherlock just nodded and sat in his chair to think. Amy glanced at the Doctor and then at Rory, wondering if they had any idea of what Sherlock was thinking.

"Of course I have. Although, I don't know how easy it will be. We are trying to uncover an invasion leader, who has been hiding for God knows how long," Sherlock informed as he intrigued everyone. He smiled and stood back up. "First, we have to figure out their weakness, or maybe how they entered the bodies in the first place. Doctor, do you have any ideas?"

"One. In my universe, I battled a similar species called the Gelth a couple years ago. They took over corpses at first, but they found that living bodies worked better. It could be possible that they are the same, somehow falling into this universe. They would have to be very strong to survive that. I don't know for sure. However, we could try gassing them. To draw them out," the Doctor suggested as Sherlock smiled.

"Perfect. I was thinking that we need to somehow get him to confess about either his plan or his identity. Gassing them would make them vulnerable, either way," Sherlock continued, making Amy smile as Rory nodded. John sipped his coffee and went back into the kitchen, excited. They were finally getting somewhere. And it was about time. The Doctor stood up and grinned.

"This is brilliant. Do we know where he is?" he asked as Sherlock shook his head, killing the mood.

"No, we don't, but I'm sure we can figure out something," he reassured as John tossed Sherlock's phone to him.

"Call Lestrade. Maybe he knows something about this. I'm sure there have been accounts of missing people or impersonators. We need all the help we can get, Sherlock," John suggested strongly, staring at Sherlock. The Doctor agreed, thinking that the police would be a good asset about now. "I'm sure we can locate a perimeter where Moriarty could be."

"It's a good idea," Rory agreed as Sherlock glared at him. He didn't want the police involved, but he knew that he had no way of locating the villain without some sort of help. He sighed loudly and unlocked his phone, making John smile.


	14. Chapter 14

"Lestrade has decided that he will help us and will keep us updated on the search. He should have results in a few hours or so," Sherlock replied, throwing his phone to John, who was sitting on the couch with Amy and Rory. John muttered under his breath as he placed the phone on the side table. The Doctor stood up, proud of Sherlock.

"Good work. I'll be right back," he informed, patting Sherlock on the shoulder.

"Where are you going?" John demanded, raising an eyebrow.

"I need to get back to the TARDIS so I can identify the aliens. I want to make sure that they are the Gelth before we attack them," the Doctor informed as he wrung his hands. John glanced at Sherlock before nodding. "I won't be long, and it's been a few days. I should be able to enter the laboratory by now."

"Just hurry. We don't have a lot of time. I'm sure Moriarty, or whatever he is, is planning something. We haven't heard from them since we found Amy and Rory yesterday," John reminded as the Doctor went for the door. He turned when he got to the entryway.

"Make sure they're safe," he added before dashing down the stairs. Amy folded her arms and rolled her eyes.

"I don't need to be protected," she mumbled as the Doctor dashed down the stairs. He walked outside and paused, making sure that the Ponds didn't follow. After waiting a suitable amount of time, he continued on his way and called for a cab. The Doctor had swiped John's wallet once again, but vowed to give it back.

Once the Doctor arrived, he paid the taxi driver and walked into the laboratory. He showed the guards his psychic paper and they granted him access. It took him a moment to remember where the closet with his TARDIS, but he was able to remember the area. He wandered the floors, searching for the area where his machine was.

After an hour and a half, he finally found it and unlocked the doors, entering his borrowed TARDIS. She stroked the dimmed console and sighed. She still wasn't ready. Even if he wanted to leave, he couldn't. Amy and Rory were in danger as long as they were there. He cleared his mind and remembered why he actually came over here. He booted up the computer and did a scan for alien technology and lifeforms. The aliens did come up, and matched genetically with the Gelth. The Doctor sighed in relief and sat down, breathing in the TARDIS. Over the past few days, he really started to miss her. He wondered how he survived before he stole her.

After a good meditation session with the TARDIS, the Doctor left and locked the doors to the TARDIS and the closet, making sure that no one could ever get in. He hesitated to to leave, but did so anyway. Everyone was waiting for him back in 221b. He had new information that could save this version of the earth.

While the Doctor was on his mission, Amy pouted on the couch as Rory tried to soothe her. Sherlock knew nothing about comforting, so he went into his room to plan their next attack. John went to laptop to update his crime solving blog.

"Amy, you're being ridiculous. He's not leaving for good, nor does he think you're weak. He just doesn't want you to get hurt. He doesn't want any of us to get hurt. And he'll be back soon," Rory comforted as Amy glared at him. She sighed and stood up.

"I know he isn't going to abandon us, but I don't like it when he goes off on his own like that. It makes me feel useless and unwanted," Amy countered, walking into the kitchen. John glanced up at Rory and gave him a half smile.

"Women," he murmured, shaking his head. Rory nodded and shook his head, at a loss.

"What can I do? She won't listen to anything I say. It's like I don't matter compared to the Doctor," Rory complained rubbing his face. John sighed and returned to his laptop.

"I don't know," he whispered as Amy came back in with an apple. Rory gave her a small smile before she went over and kissed him on the forehead.

"You do matter, moron. Even compared to the Doctor," she informed before taking a bite of her apple and heading upstairs. Rory looked at John, who was trying to hide a smile.

"Sorry," he mumbled, finally smiling. Rory leaned back and sighed, wondering if the Doctor would get there soon. It was boring without something going on, and usually Rory was extremely patient. When the door opened again, Rory jumped from his seat as the Doctor came in with a smile.

"Where's Sherlock?" he asked giddily. Rory pointed upstairs, surprised by the Doctor's sudden happiness. Maybe he should have went to the TARDIS sooner. "Good. I'll go get him and share my exciting news with everyone!"

"Sounds good," Rory replied, secretly relieved to have him back, as the Doctor ran up. John closed the laptop and turned toward Rory.

"About time," he smiled, shaking his head and standing up. John and Rory followed the Doctor upstairs, where the time lord had opened Sherlock's door. Amy met them in the hallway as she caught a glimpse of the Doctor running past her door. They all walked into Sherlock's room as he stood in the corner.

"Sherlock?" The Doctor asked, surprised and concerned. The detective turned to face the time lord and smiled.

"Didn't think you would be back so early," he answered, looking that the people in his doorway. He walked toward the Doctor. "Do you have a plan?"

"In process, yes. The good news is that they are known as the Gelth. They are the same species as far as I can tell. When I defeated them the last time, I gassed them out. However, this may be a little more tricky. Somehow, they have created replicas of people, and I need to know how they did this," the Doctor answered as Sherlock smiled.

"Sounds like something we can find out easily. Then what?"

"Then we find out how they got in and stayed in there. I'm not sure if just gassing them will be able to work this time around. They may have evolved since then," the Doctor added, looking nervous. John raised his finger in question.

"When was the last time you dealt with these creatures?" he implored.

"For me, a few years ago. Lost count. For earth history, about one hundred fifty years ago. Roughly. Fought them off with Charles Dickens," the Doctor continued, smiling as he remembered his friend Dickens. John just put his head in his hand, completely shocked and confused. "Any other questions?"

"Are you even sane?" John whispered as the Doctor pointed at him.

"Of course not. Do you think I could survive in this universe if I wasn't?" he asked as he made a face. "On second thought, don't answer that question. Anyway, we need to set a trap for one of the Gelth. That is the quickest way I can think of to find out where they got their shape and how to prevent it from happening again."

"How far away are the swarm of Gelth in space?" Rory asked, stunning the room. He pursed his lips, thinking that he had something stupid. The Doctor approached him and stared at him.

"That is a fantastic question," the Doctor smiled, turning back around into the room. "They are about four to five days out. If we want to make a difference, we have to hurry. We have to stop Gelth Moriarty before the swarm gets too close. They won't be able to turn back if we aren't quick."

"Didn't you say there was a beacon?" Sherlock reminded as the Doctor pointed at him.

"I was getting to that. Even though getting the TARDIS would quicken the invasion significantly, they would still have a back up plan. If we destroy the beacon, then the swarm will be lost and confused far away from earth. However, they way we're going, standing here like statues, it's not going to make a difference if we wreck the beacon," the Doctor explained as he shooed everyone out of the room.

"What's our strategy?" John asked, reverting to his military training. The Doctor smiled.

"Capture one of the Gelth. I don't care which one, but we need one by the end of today. Tomorrow morning at the latest," he instructed as everyone stared at him. "Well, get going! We don't have all day!"

"Doctor-" Amy began.

"GO!" he shouted as all of them ran down the stairs. However, Rory and Amy met the Doctor half way down.

"I am not going in this hospital gown," Amy argued as Rory agreed. The Doctor sighed and thought of a solution.

"Well, hurry and ask John if there's anything," he sighed as Rory grabbed John in the kitchen. Amy thanked him and the Doctor as John went back upstairs. Sherlock had already vacated the flat, in the hope that this could relieve his chronic boredom.

"I'll be out and about," the Doctor informed, giving a small hug to Amy. She rolled her eyes as he ran out the door before going upstairs.

The Doctor walked out on the street and stopped by a post. How was he going to lure a Gelth into the open? Into a trap? He drummed his chin and headed off into a direction in order to think. He wondered what Sherlock had planned and started to wish he had asked the Consulting Detective before he left. For now, the Doctor was all on his own, which wasn't too bad. He knew he had gotten situations worse than this. Like when he had to find Prisoner Zero or when the Daleks had stolen the earth. This was nothing compared to that, but still, he needed a plan. And fast.

He kept pacing down the street, hardly paying attention to where he was going. He nearly got hit by three cars and one bicycles. Well, it might have been two. Anyway, he couldn't think of a good plan to get his original plan in motion. He hit his head a few times to get his thoughts flowing before he stopped. He looked around and realized that he had no idea where he was or where he was going. For the first time in eternity, the Doctor had gotten lost and all he had with him was a sonic screwdriver. He grumbled something angrily before turning around and finding a massive crowd that he had somehow walked straight through.

The Doctor walked across the street, wondering if he could back track somehow back to where he could know where he was. Rubbing his hands, he kept wandering and hoping that he would be found. He tapped a stranger on the shoulder, catching her attention.

"Excuse me. I seem to be lost. Can you tell me where I am?" the Doctor asked as the woman smiled, thinking that he sounded like a child.

"Eastern London. Why don't you know where you are?" she replied, almost laughing at him. He smiled good-heartedly and shrugged.

"I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. Thank you, though," he smiled, giving her a bow as she walked away, thinking that he was an odd man. He rubbed his head and looked around, thinking how he was going to get back. Maybe even find the Gelth in a reasonable amount of time.


	15. Chapter 15

John introduced Rory and Amy to his closet, offering anything that would fit. The couple thanked him as he left the room. Amy pursed her lips, not really wanting to put on male clothes. However, John was rather short, so they might fit her. She picked out a button up shirt and a pair of khaki shorts before she left Rory pondering what he could wear.

Once they were dressed and ready to go, the took to the street. Of course, they stopped a few feet out the door, wondering where they could possibly go. The Gelth could be anywhere, which wasn't a great sign. She crossed her arms and sighed.

"We could go check the warehouse. I'm sure the Doctor and Sherlock won't check there," Amy suggested as Rory turned to her, confused.

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Because that's their headquarters. They want to catch one off guard, so it will be easier. However, I know where they live, so I say we check there. We could catch an unsuspecting one or something. We would only need a crowbar or something," Amy explained as Rory bit his lip.

"Do you even hear yourself?" he asked, thinking that she had gone insane.

"Do you have a better idea? I want to help these people, just like everyone else we've helped. Besides, I want this to be over. I don't want to be hospitalized, kidnapped, or copied anymore. So, I say we hit them at home," Amy continued, making sense. Rory sighed and agreed, wanting nothing more than to get to their home universe. Somewhere where Sherlock Holmes was fiction and it stayed that way.

They went to the warehouse and hid in the alleyway. They waited for a while before a worker came out. Rory went to attack, but Amy pulled him back. She wanted to do this right. They were going to wait of Iheist or Isuzu, maybe even Munwox. Amy didn't want to capture someone who might be human. Rory nodded, thinking that was probably the best idea, but he also knew that it might take quite awhile.

Hours passed by as a handful of workers came in and out, hardly noticing the Ponds. Amy ran a hand through her hair and tried to keep quiet. Even if she had come up with this plan herself, she didn't want to be there anymore. Rory held her hand for comfort, thinking that this was getting riskier the more they stayed. He was sure there were some sort of security cameras or something, and that it was only a matter of time before they were caught.

Amy caught a sight of flaming red hair out of the corner of her eye. It was Isuzu and she was leaving the complex. She looked rather upset, not that Amy cared. She pointed Isuzu out to Rory and prepared him for the attack. Luckily, she seemed distracted, so she hardly noticed two people behind the dumpster before it was too late. Amy and Rory snagged Isuzu and dragged her behind the dumpster. Amy told Rory to call Sherlock and John as she held Isuzu, who just sat there, crying. Rory nodded, curious why the lady was sobbing, but went to phone Sherlock anyway.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked shortly after a few moments of wailing. Isuzu sniffed and shrugged.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't. I figured if you talked about it, you would shut up," Amy informed, tying Isuzu's hands together behind her back.

"For the longest time, I thought I was the smartest one in this group. Now I found out that Iheist was just pretending to be stupid so he could use me. He's lazy, but brilliant. He had me do all the dirty work until he had enough of it. He yelled at me in there and told me to go. That I was going to mess up the operation. Our leader kicked me out, believing Iheist that I was a failure and couldn't be helped," Isuzu sniffed angrily, hardly fighting Amy. Amy bit her lip, thinking that she wasn't that dumb.

"Well, soon, all your troubles will be over," Amy mumbled as she stood, bringing Isuzu up with her. Rory walked back, closing his phone.

"Sherlock says that we should meet back at the flat and he's sent John to go look for the Doctor," he informed as he put the device in his pocket. Amy nodded firmly, glad that she was able to get something done, even if took hours of waiting.

"Good. Let's get a move on," Amy answered, leading Isuzu out of the alleyway, with her hands still behind her back. Rory followed, wondering if anyone would notice that Isuzu was tied up, but decided to put that in the back of his mind. They had bigger things to deal with.

~~S~~

The Doctor wandered the streets of London, still completely lost. If only he had been paying attention. He longed for a map or something, but had no money to even buy one. He couldn't even get a cab to take him. Running his hands through his hair, he examined the roads carefully. He concluded that he was probably getting farther away from where he wanted to go, which made him frown. At least he had his screwdriver. If he didn't find his way soon, he decided that he would borrow some cash from an ATM nearby. It wasn't the most honest idea, but the earth was at stake. No one would notice he took the money if the world ended.

The Doctor went into a corner shop across the street and looked desperately for a map. Once he found a suitable one of London, he went up to the cashier and asked where he was.

"Been at the pub recently?" the employee snickered as he looked at the map. The Doctor glared.

"Just tell me where I am," he pressed, not in the mood for his rude remarks. The employee pointed at a corner on the paper and looked up at the Doctor.

"Here. At the corner shop. Do you know where you're going?" the cashier asked, more polite. The Doctor nodded and thanked him before leaving. When outside, he noticed that the sun was leaning to the west by now. He pointed himself North, where 221b Baker Street was. If he could get back there in time, he could figure out where he wanted to go.

After some trial and error, the Doctor finally made it to Baker Street. He sighed, wondering which way it was now. None of it seemed familiar, even though it was the same street. He started one way when he heard his name being called out behind him. He turned around to see John.

"Doctor! Where are you going?" John shouted as he ran over to the Time Lord. The Doctor smiled.

"It's so good to see you," he sighed, meeting John, who was slightly out of breath.

"Amy and Rory have captured one of the Gelth. They're meeting us at the apartment and I was sent to find you. Where were you anyway?" John asked as they started back home.

"Wandering the streets of London. I got lost and couldn't find where I was for hours. I'm lucky that I made it back here," the Doctor informed as John sighed, thinking that it was a wonder the Doctor wasn't stranded on some planet, looking for where he had parked his TARDIS.

"Do you get lost often?" John slightly teased.

"No, I don't. I'm usually paying attention to where I'm going. I was too busy thinking to recognize any landmarks as I passed by," The Doctor informed sternly, not appreciating the joke. John sighed and shrugged. They made there way back to the apartment in silence, which neither of them minded.

John unlocked the door and let the Doctor enter the townhouse first. They climbed the stairs to the living room to find the Ponds, Isuzu, and Sherlock waiting. Isuzu looked like she had been crying, but made no intention of trying to escape. The Doctor paused in the doorway for a moment before walking into the tense room. He approached Gelth creature and knelt next to her. She eyed him carefully, knowing that he could be dangerous.

"What do you want?" she hissed, finding her anger. She fully blamed him for not agreeing to the terms. If he just agreed, they would have the TARDIS and she would have never found out about Iheist and his schemes. It was entirely his fault.

"I want to know how you accomplished this," he whispered, looking at each of her eyes. "I met the Gelth a few decades ago, but they were only taking on dead bodies. How did you manage to create a new body? Or rather, a copy of one?"

"James Moriarty helped us with the genetic engineering and clone science. We tested it first on him, from which our leader took his image. When Amy, Rory, and you were captured, we took a DNA sample from each of you. We cloned your bodies, in which we inhabited. Of course, you weren't human, so it took a few hours for your clone to finish," she grumbled, wanting the mission that her former colleagues were working on to fail. The Doctor nodded, understanding most of that.

"And since you aren't operating from another point of space, you are able to remain in these bodies," the Doctor concluded, remembering his last encounter. Isuzu gave him a strange look as she didn't understand what he was talking about. "Then what's the master plan? Why take over this planet now? You already have the means of how to create a body, so you can go elsewhere to build your culture. Why stay on earth?"

"It is the most ideal planet we have ever seen. It reminds us of our home planet, with it's blue water and green forests. We decided on this planet because of that. We don't leave because we are comfortable here," she answered sternly, as if the Doctor was stupid.

"But these humans already live here. You can't just come in and take their home because you can," the Doctor pursued, growing frustrated. Isuzu turned red and glared at him.

"And why not?! We can and will take over these pathetic humans! We can do whatever we want, Time Lord! Who's going to stop us? The humans? Don't be daft! They haven't done anything yet! They're all so thick and dense, they don't even know that they've been infiltrated! They are nothing compared to us, Doctor! We are a highly advanced, civilized race!" She screamed, furious. What gave him the right to tell her what she could and couldn't do?

"There is nothing civilized about taking over a planet! Absolutely nothing! You say you're so high and mighty, but you're just acting like children. Having a tantrum when I tell you that you can't take over this place? How old are you? Five? Six? No! You are better than this! And you know it!" The Doctor shouted back, making Mrs. Hudson come upstairs. Sherlock motioned to her that everything was under control and that she could go back downstairs, which she did. Isuzu glared at the Doctor before softening her gaze, realizing that he was right.


	16. Chapter 16

The Doctor sighed and went to untie Isuzu as Amy tried to protest, along with Sherlock, John, and Rory. He shook his head as Isuzu rubbed her wrists.

"Look, she has nowhere else to go, so she's got nothing to lose. She won't run away. Where would she run to? Her own race rejected her," the Doctor informed, silencing his companions. John glanced at Sherlock, hoping he would protest.

"Are you suggesting that she's harmless? I beg to differ, Doctor. She has nothing to lose, as you said, but that means that she's even more dangerous. She's willing to try anything," Sherlock warned as the Doctor led him to the kitchen. John shrugged as he looked at Isuzu then to the Ponds. They sat down as Isuzu refused to move. The Doctor glanced into the living room before staring at Sherlock.

"Under normal circumstances, I would completely agree, but this one's different. She understands what the others are doing is wrong. I think she's known that from the beginning, but has chosen to ignore it until now. When she was cast out, she realized that they were insane. In their few numbers, they kicked out one of their most prominent people. An insider. I think it started when her leader told her that the Gelth were the most powerful and highly civilized creatures in the universe, and they couldn't die like this. Helpless and insignificantly. I've shown her that all races and beings are equal, no matter how far they are along," the Doctor hissed, disappointed in Sherlock. The detective rolled his eyes.

"Doctor, she has been working toward this for who knows how long. I don't think she's going to just get up and change her whole outlook on life. She may not be fighting with the others, but we need to keep an eye on her. Make sure that she doesn't make any moves to destroy the earth," Sherlock warned before he walked back into the living room. The Doctor rubbed his forehead before following him. Isuzu sat on the floor, where she was first placed, still refusing to move. Amy and Rory sat on either side of her on the couch as John typed away on his laptop.

"So, Izzy," the Doctor greeted, kneeling by her. Isuzu gave him an annoyed look. "Okay, no nickname, then. Anyway, can I get you anything? Do you eat?"

"Of course I eat, but I'm fine. I'm not hungry right now," Isuzu informed, turning away from the Doctor. Rory smirked, thinking that Isuzu took more than Amy's physical appearance.

"If you're sure."

"How long are you going to keep me here? It's not like I have anyplace to go, but I would like my freedom as much as the next person," Isuzu complained as John looked up from his computer.

"Until your leader and associates leave this planet in peace. Then you can go," the Doctor answered as she sighed, irritated.

"How long will that take?"

"We should be getting close. If I can figure out how to get your former colleagues out of those clones, we should be good. Don't worry, they won't be killed. They'll just be in their original form before they made the clones," the Doctor added as Isuzu exhaled. Amy bit her lip, hoping that she wouldn't say something that would throw them off course.

"Look. I want to get away. I can't stay here any longer. I'm sure that they're coming to look for me. I ran away. They were about to kill me," Isuzu informed, on the brink of tears. She was frightened to say the least and wanted out, but she knew she wouldn't get past the front door while these people were around her. Sherlock gave John a look as the Doctor hung his head.

"Why didn't you tell us that earlier?" he complained as she shrugged.

"I thought you were going to kill me, too. Not just ask me questions and let me go," Isuzu answered as John ran upstairs and Sherlock stood behind the Doctor. The Doctor stood up, avoiding Isuzu's gaze. Amy walked to the window to make sure that there wasn't anyone outside. Luckily, there was not a soul in view.

"What are we going to do?" Amy whispered, turning away from the window. She wasn't sure how they were going to get out of this one. The Doctor spun around to see her.

"We need to attack. Now," he answered, walking to the door.

"Doctor?" Rory said, confused. The Doctor turned around. "What's the plan? Specifically."

"We get into the warehouse, overload the natural gas pipe, gas out the creatures from their bodies, and blow the entire place to smithereens. However, I would like to get this done before they come looking for Isuzu and before the others get here. So, let's go!" The Doctor replied as Rory and Amy left the flat as John dashed down the stairs, behind the Ponds. Sherlock paused to talk to the Doctor.

"What do we do with her?" he asked, pointing at Isuzu. She looked up, wondering the same thing. The Doctor shrugged.

"Stay here, I suppose. It's not safe at the warehouse. It's not safe out in the world. Right now, she needs to stay right her, in the flat," he explained, looking at her. Isuzu nodded and wiped her eyes. The Doctor nodded his head before he and Sherlock left and locked the door.

Once they arrived at the warehouse, the Doctor told the rest to wait in the alley before he dashed away again, hearing Amy's sighs of frustration. He stalked in the shadows, counting the entrances and pipes into the building. Two exits and four pipes. He jutted out his chin as he brushed back his hair. He had no idea if those pipes had natural gas, but he decided that he would figure it out eventually. If there wasn't any gas, he was sure that there was something he could use to blow up the facility.

The Doctor circled back to his companions as he hid back in the shadows. He breathed heavily, running all the way around. Amy sat next to him, wanting to know what was going on.

"There are two exits, so we have to be quick. There are four external pipelines, which might have natural gas in them. If not, we'll light something else on fire and blow the place up. Regardless, we have a plan. Now we just have to get in," the Doctor surmised, staring at the brick wall in front of him. Rory nodded.

"How do we get in?" he implored, asking the obvious question.

"I have no idea how to do that," he whispered sarcastically as he held up the sonic screwdriver. Rory nodded, feeling slightly stupid and embarrassed. Amy held his arm comfortingly. The Doctor jumped up and snuck over to the nearest entrance. He motioned everyone else to come over as he opened the door. It clicked open as everyone poured in silently.

The Doctor led the others through the corridors, where the main labs were. Last time they were there, the Doctor had peeked into one of the rooms and found the genetic engineering that Isuzu had been talking about. This time, it seemed that they were all empty of the scientists. Something big had happened, and they had no time to lose. He sent Sherlock and John to the east wing and Amy and Rory to the west wing. They were to get into the labs and turn on the natural gas by the sinks.

Once he finished gassing the empty room, the Doctor took out a handkerchief and put it to his face so he could breath. He left the room and headed for the other wings, hoping that they had already finished. He turned the corner and saw the back of the Moriarty Gelth. He retreated hastily, unnoticed by the villain. The Doctor peeked around the corner and saw that Moriarty was confronting what looked to be the head scientist. They were arguing about something.

"Sir, we cannot create that many clones in such a short period of time!" the scientist shouted, trying to keep his temper under control.

"How is two weeks a short period of time!?" Moriarty screamed back, threatening the man with his decorative cane. This must have been an often threat, since the scientist wasn't having much of a reaction.

"It is in the world of genetic engineering! It takes at least a week for the bodies to form and we don't have the capacity to supply thousands of them. Maybe a hundred at a time, and that could take months. We need more time!" the scientist yelled, frustrated.

"We don't have more time. Get me as many as you can in two weeks and we'll go from there!" Moriarty shouted, stalking away towards the Doctor, but hardly noticed him in his rampage. The scientist sighed and walked in the other direction, flipping through the papers in his clipboard. The Doctor started to follow him and found that he was going toward the west wing, where the Ponds were. He shook his head before conking the scientist on the head, knocking him clean out.

"Sorry," the Doctor whispered as he dragged the man to the nearby room. He closed the door and rubbed his hands together. He proceeded cautiously as he found the Ponds in the hallway along with the stench of natural gas. He replaced his handkerchief on his face and waved over to them. They came along, trying to cough silently as they ran over to the Doctor. "Let's hurry and find Sherlock and John and get out of here."

"Agreed," Amy whispered, hiding behind the Doctor. Rory followed behind her as they continued to the next wing. They saw Sherlock and John on the other side of the hallway before Moriarty walked between them, laughing.

"Oh, I should have guessed, Doctor, Sherlock, that you two would come back. I didn't expect you to bring friends, though. That surprised me," Moriarty smiled, twisting his cane. "Very clever, though. I must congratulate you on your most brilliant plan so far. Although, it will probably will be your last. I would usually come up with a clever way to kill you, but I'm not in the mood, nor do I have the time."

"What do you- Oh," the Doctor began before Moriarty pulled out a pistol.

"Oh, don't look so surprised. I'm shocked that you thought that you could get away with this. I knew you were here from the start. I have security cameras surrounding the entire building. Do you really think you wouldn't get caught?" Moriarty taunted, waving his gun around as Sherlock and John joined the Doctor with his hands in the air. "Any last words?"

"Yeah, I have a one," a voice said from behind. It was Isuzu, holding a matchbox. She took out a match while the Doctor led everyone to the exit while Moriarty focused on the clone of Amy. She grinned as Moriarty pointed the gun at her. "Run."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey, Utdragongirl here (obviously). Anyway, I'm trying out author notes. I wanted to say that I'm sorry that this fanfiction took so long to write. I got a little bored with it, so I didn't write for a while. Finally, a few days ago, I pulled myself together and finished it. This is the last chapter of Doctor Sherlock, though. I probably won't do a sequel or anything like that, unless I get a huge crowd of people suggesting otherwise. Then I might. Regardless, I hope you've enjoyed this little journey and I hope you'll keep reading future fanfictions of mine. :)**

"Isuzu?" Moriarty whispered as she grinned wider. "What are you doing here? I thought I had you killed!"

"Just because I disappeared doesn't mean they succeeded," Isuzu murmured sweetly, taking a match out of the matchbox. He backed away, unsure what she was doing with it.

"What are you doing?"

"Righting a wrong, Sir," she answered as she pressed it against the strip. Moriarty dove toward her in protest, but it was too late. The match was struck, igniting the natural gas that had filled every room. Isuzu gave him a quick smile before the explosion.

The Doctor rushed everyone out and ran for the alley when the building exploded, shoving all of them to the ground. The Doctor looked up and found the warehouse on fire. They stood back up and ran to the street as the fire blazed. Amy glanced at Rory and grimaced, wondering if they had done the right thing. Rory grabbed her hand and followed the Doctor.

Once they were far away from the destruction, they rested, seeing the billowing tower of smoke over the buildings as fire trucks zoomed past them. The Doctor clapped a hand on Sherlock's shoulder, smiling.

"We did it," he mumbled, out of breath. John shook his head and laughed. They had won and survived.

"Yes, we did," the Doctor answered as Amy and Rory embraced each other. The Doctor smiled and looked around, noticing that something was wrong. "Did Isuzu make it out?"

"No, I don't think so," Sherlock noted as Amy and Rory broke apart and looked around for her. The Doctor hung his head and closed his eyes. He had done it, but at a cost of a good person. She had changed and wanted to be good, which she was. She died to save a planet that she didn't truly know. "Doctor, it was her choice. She must have overheard us talking in the kitchen and came up with the idea. She did the right thing."

"You're right," the Doctor whispered, rubbing his face as he sighed. "Let's get going."

"Doctor, I have one question," John announced, walking over to him.

"What is it?"

"What about the construction worker in the hospital? Was he a part in this?" he asked as the Doctor shrugged.

"Not conspiring, but yes, he had a part in this. I think he found out about the cloning or was a suspect or something. He got more than he bargained for. When he tried to run, they chased after him right into your flat," the Doctor explained as his breath came back. John nodded, thinking that it made sense.

"Are you going to go back now?" Sherlock asked, standing next to the Time Lord.

"Back to our universe? No, we still have a few days before we can go," the Doctor answered as Amy and Rory came up.

"I thought you said that it would be a few weeks," Rory insisted, confused. The Doctor smiled at him and chuckled.

"I did, but that was before I went back to the TARDIS. I found that the rift we landed on was much larger than I first anticipated. Of course, this might create a bit of disturbance here. Maybe some freak weather, possibly a small earthquake. Nothing major I would think," he explained, rubbing his hands together. John pursed his lips, thinking that it was a fair trade off. He'd rather have an earthquake than be taken over by aliens.

"Does that mean you're going to stick around a bit longer, Doctor?" Sherlock implored as they strolled down the street. Amy and Rory glanced at the Doctor as he looked ahead, thinking.

"Most likely. Rory needs to pay off the rent," the Doctor informed, hiding a smile. Rory threw his arms up in surrender, tired of him.

"Really, Doctor?" Rory mumbled as Amy rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

"You're the only one qualified to get anything done. Sure, Amy and I could get a part time job at some fast food place, but you'll make more money than both of us combined," the Doctor explained, covering his bases. Rory rolled his eyes as Amy hung on his arm, trying not to laugh too hard.

"Fine," he gave up.

"Good," the Doctor answered as Sherlock smiled, thinking that they should be on a sitcom. John just shook his head again, letting the fact that they just blew up an alien threat hit him. Two weeks ago, he didn't even believe in the aliens. "Who's up for chips? I don't know about you, but I'm starved."

"When was the last time you actually ate, Doctor?" Amy asked, smiling.

"Yesterday? I don't keep track of that kind of stuff," the Doctor answered snippily. Amy pursed her lips.

"Do you know you get grumpy when you're hungry, Doctor?" she whispered as he gave her a stern look. She gave him a playful frown as he looked away, embarrassed.

"Do any of you want chips or what?" the Doctor demanded as John agreed, needing a distraction. "Good, then the chips are on you."

"What?" John asked as Sherlock smiled, looking down the street. John glanced at Amy and Rory, who just smiled kindly as he gave up. "Fine."

"Any restaurant suggestions?" Amy inquired, talking to Sherlock, too.

"There's a nice cafe right outside the apartment," Sherlock replied, glancing behind him at Amy.

"Then off we go!" Amy announced, taking Rory's arm and pushing past John to catch up to Sherlock. John sighed and pulled the Doctor back.

"Yes, John?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"How safe are we? We still have a huge swarm of... of things coming here. What happens then?" John whispered, hoping not to alarm anyone around them. The Doctor remained silent, but gave a sad smile.

"It's true that they are still on course, but if we were quick enough, which we probably were, they should lose the scent. They shouldn't make here," the Time Lord answered, looking ahead.

"What if they do?"

"Then pray that they don't get clever. As long as Moriarty has learned his lesson and that no one else is willing to help the Gelth, nothing should happen. If it does, get Sherlock and get to the bottom of it. You two are both extremely clever and brilliant, so you should be able to take them down. Just remember what we did today," the Doctor whispered as John nodded.

"What would we have done without you?" John asked, laughing as the Doctor turned around before John touched his shoulder. "What did you mean that I was Sherlock's first friend? You didn't really give me a straight answer last time."

"Well, the first time we met, he was working on his first case. He was working with Lestrade and he came across me. He deduced that I wasn't from around here, but couldn't determine where I was from. He stuck around, but this was when I first lost someone I cared for dearly in another dimension. I decided to look for her through some old cracks in the universe, which was how I came here in the first place. I was, um, rather short with Sherlock most of the time, not that he cared. He still hung around and I helped him with his case until I mentioned Rose, the one I lost. He remained apathetic of the subject, which made me angry. He basically told me that I could live without her and move on. I couldn't handle that then, so I insulted him and told him to get out of my sight. Sherlock did leave and he finished the case without me. Luckily, he found me before I left again to my original universe. He gave me a farewell goodbye before I vanished. When I say that you're his first friend, I mean that I wasn't his true friend. I was moody and often insulted him until he didn't want to be around me anymore. After I left, I regretted my actions, but figured that I'd never see him again. I'm just glad he forgave me when he saw me again," The Doctor sighed, looking at the ground. John nodded.

"Forgive and forget, Doctor," a deep voice came from behind the Doctor spun around and smiled at Sherlock. "It's stupid to hold a grudge for so long. I forgave you awhile back, you know. I hate lingering on something for so long."

"Good to hear it," the Doctor whispered, thinking that he really didn't deserve to be forgiven. He had taken all his anger out on Sherlock all those years ago. Sherlock waved them to keep walking. "That's quite a change of character for you, though. You were so kind in letting us stay. Especially saving us from that laboratory mix up."

"Forgive and forget," Sherlock smiled as the Doctor started to converse with him. John stopped, realizing that Sherlock had been acting strange the past few days. Letting them stay, bailing them out, hardly saying anything. His eyes widened and froze. He watched as the Doctor and Sherlock walk into the cafe, smiling. A smile that Sherlock had never given before and, before now, one that Sherlock would never had given. The smile wasn't his.


End file.
